Articles

COA reduces counts in armed burglary of elderly Franklin couple

A man’s burglary conviction has been reduced from a Level 1 felony after he broke into an elderly couple’s Franklin home and bound them at gunpoint before stealing weapons, money and their car. An appellate panel concluded that injury to the elderly man’s mind did not qualify as a bodily injury.

Read More

Biological dad’s paternity petition dismissed

The Indiana Court of Appeals has rejected the petition of two biological parents to establish paternity for their child after the appellate court concluded the mother could not collaterally attack a previous paternity finding for another man who assumed he was the father.   

Read More

Prosecutors: Divorcing Greenwood couple left dog to starve

Prosecutors say a suburban Indianapolis couple who vacated their home during divorce proceedings left their dog behind to starve to death. Michael S. Setser of Greenwood faces a misdemeanor charge of abandonment or neglect of a vertebrate animal, and Amanda Setser of Franklin faces a misdemeanor animal cruelty charge.

Read More

Daughter’s estate appeal backfires; COA awards fees

The Indiana Court of Appeals found a trial court’s decision to approve an estate administrator’s final account was not clearly erroneous. Instead, it noted that a woman appealing the order acted in procedural bad faith, and thus ordered her to pay appellate attorney fees.

Read More

Indiana Secretary of State investigating Johnson County Election Day glitch

Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson said Tuesday in a statement that her office is investigating Johnson County’s problematic electronic poll books and hopes “to determine the root cause of the problem" after the poll books that are used to check in voters before they cast a ballot kept freezing on Nov. 6, stalling several voting machines and preventing some people from voting.

Read More

Justices hear dad’s appeal of removal from son’s estate

The Indiana Supreme Court heard argument Tuesday contending the appointment of a deceased man’s father as the special administrator of his wrongful-death estate should not have been reconsidered, despite counter-arguments that he was not the best fit for the appointment.

Read More

120 people face drug charges in Johnson County

The Johnson County prosecutor says more than 100 people are facing drug charges. Prosecutor Brad Cooper said Thursday that 120 people face charges for dealing methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, marijuana or other drugs.

Read More

Voters oust trial court judge; Carmichael beats party-switching ex-jurist

Southern Indiana voters rejected one trial court judge and narrowly re-elected another who was challenged by a former colleague who changed parties to run against her. Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Darrell Maurice Auxier, a Democrat, was the lone sitting Indiana trial court judge to lose his bid for re-election, while Clark Circuit Judge Vicki Carmichael retained her bench seat in one of Indiana’s closest countywide trial court races Tuesday. 

Read More

Lawyer accused of theft from disabled held without bond amid new charges

A suspended Indiana lawyer accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from disabled and special needs clients was held without bond Tuesday in the Johnson County Jail after authorities in at least two counties had issued warrants for his arrest. Kenneth Shane Service was arrested Monday and is likely to remain behind bars until he’s transported to await court dates in three Indiana counties where he currently faces felony theft charges.

Read More

Termination of ex’s house payment obligation reversed

The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed a decision that found an “ambiguous” dissolution settlement agreement made no indication as to the father’s child support obligations and that his payments for a mortgage and car would supplement them.

Read More