Justices amend guidelines for nonlawyer assistants
Independent nonlawyer assistants will no longer be permitted to establish direct relationships with clients to provide legal services, the Indiana Supreme Court has ordered.
Indiana Trial Courts
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New laws take aim at those who post ‘revenge porn’
Two new Indiana laws are taking aim at people who post intimate images from previous or current relationships online without consent. The laws separately provide criminal charges against those who post “revenge porn” and civil remedies for those victimized by it.
11 counties testing Indiana’s bail bond relief pilot program
Officials in Porter County and 10 other Indiana counties are testing a risk-assessment program to determine whether people who have been arrested should be required to post bail while awaiting trial. The pilot is expected to roll out statewide next year.
Woman faces DWI charge after wrong-way crash into ISP patrol car
A southern Indiana woman is facing a drunken driving charge after she allegedly drove the wrong way on a highway and crashed into a trooper's patrol car.
Lawsuit filed against unlicensed Porter County midwife
The state of Indiana is suing a Porter County midwife who says she is exempt from state licensing requirements to continue practicing midwifery. A judge, meanwhile, has ordered the midwife to stop delivering babies and attending to expectant mothers.
Man accused of murder, cannibalism won’t face death penalty
A southern Indiana man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and eating parts of her body will not face the death penalty if convicted.
Business owner accused of bilking investors in tech startup scam
Indianapolis resident David Betner has been charged by the Marion County prosecutor with multiple felonies related to his business enterprise, Darepoint.
Northern Indiana couple charged with animal cruelty
A northern Indiana couple is facing animal cruelty charges after authorities say three dozen dogs were found living in deplorable conditions at their rural property.
Lawyer: Judge charged after shot in fight ready for legal process
A southern Indiana judge who faces felony battery charges stemming from a May 1 fight outside a fast-food restaurant in which he and another judge were shot and wounded is “prepared to proceed through the legal process.”
Lawyer: Judge charged after shot in fight ready for legal process
A southern Indiana judge who faces felony battery charges stemming from a May 1 fight outside a fast-food restaurant in which he and another judge were shot and wounded is “prepared to proceed through the legal process.”
House boosts LSC funding without key Hoosier’s vote
The appropriations bill that included a significant boost in funding to the Legal Service Corp. passed through the U.S. House of Representatives without the vote of a key advocate of civil legal aid who said the measure contained too many “poison pills” and was impossible to support.
DCS director claims lawsuit is ‘misleading and harmful’
Claiming outside advocates were relying on “an inflammatory and outdated account,” Indiana Department of Child Services director Terry Stigdon released a video statement Monday in response to the lawsuit filed last week charging the state agency with inflicting further harm on children entering the foster care system.
Retired Lake County judge certified as senior judge
The Indiana Supreme Court has certified a new senior judge to serve in Indiana courts.
COA orders hearing, possible release, for man in custody
Under unusual circumstances, the Indiana Court of Appeals is asking the state to explain why a man is in custody after a chain of events stemming from charges upon which he has not been arrested.
Holcomb appoints new Lake Superior Judge
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has announced the appointment of a magistrate judge to fill a trial court vacancy in Lake County.
New laws for 2019
The following enrolled acts, followed in parentheses by their corresponding public law numbers, take effect July 1 unless otherwise noted below.
Zipping into statutes: Overview of new laws for 2019
Although the $34 billion budget dominated the session, legislators introduced and considered more than 600 bills each in both the Senate and the House. The ones they passed covered a variety of matters, including hate crimes, hemp, gambling, foster parents, electricity generation and, of course, electric scooters.
Officials remain tight-lipped about judges’ shooting
Since Clark Circuit Judges Andrew Adams and Bradley Jacobs returned to their southern Indiana homes in mid-May to recuperate from being shot, few updates on their conditions and announcements regarding the prosecution of their case have been provided, leaving some in the community wondering.
Trial and error: Attorneys navigate e-filing errors, but clerks say rejections infrequent
Lawyers and paralegals largely agree that electronic filing has improved their work, cutting the time and cost of printing and distributing hundreds or even thousands of paper documents. But enjoying the full benefits of the electronic system, they say, is a matter of trial and error.
COA calls out court that ‘respectfully disagrees’ in CHINS case
The Indiana Court of Appeals has dismissed as moot a CHINS appeal while also calling out a trial court magistrate and judge for disregarding the appellate court’s decisions regarding the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children.