Federal inmate in Terre Haute sentenced to life for murder of cellmate
Lawrence Taylor, 44, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the brutal stabbing death of Jan Stevens.
Judge James R. Sweeney II
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Money troubles: Federal judiciary issues new policies for financial disclosures
Given that what federal judges do with their money outside the courthouse has raised questions about whether they are ruling in favor of their financial interests inside the courtroom, the federal judiciary is making changes that members of the legal community and court observers say are good but do not go far enough.
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Called to serve their neighbors, at home and abroad
The law is a service profession, one lawyers often enter into with big dreams of changing the world. For some lawyers, though, the work of changing the world begins not in law school, but in the military.
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Articles
Naturalization ceremony in Indy honors 75 new citizens
Middle-schoolers from across the state were on hand Tuesday as 75 new U.S. citizens were honored at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Indianapolis as part of the Indiana Bar Foundation’s We The People program.
Carmel man sentenced to 8-plus years in prison for fraud, identity theft
A Carmel man has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison after pleading guilty to more than two dozen federal offenses, including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering related to fraudulent PayPal and eBay accounts.
Contingency-fee forfeiture prosecutions not unconstitutional, federal judge rules
Indiana’s practice of allowing private prosecutors to collect a contingency fee on forfeiture proceeds is not a violation of due process, a federal judge has ruled.
Federal judge denies Butler’s motion to dismiss student-athletes’ sexual abuse case against former athletic trainer
A federal judge has denied Butler University’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by four student-athletes who allege that a former athletic trainer sexually abused them and that the university’s athletic director failed to protect them.
On remand, federal judge denies habeas relief for man convicted of killing IU student Behrman
After previously overturning the conviction of the man convicted of murdering Indiana University student Jill Behrman, the Indiana Southern District Court on remand has declined to grant habeas relief to John Myers a second time.
Ballot access issues surviving court challenges ahead of 2024 elections: Minor parties, absentee voting at issue
Election-related lawsuits have challenged Indiana laws as they relate to ballot access for both candidates and voters. Decisions in those cases handed down in recent months have been mostly favorable to existing Indiana law.
Judge upholds petition requirement for independent, minor-party ballot access in Indiana
Indiana’s requirement for political independents and minor-party candidates to obtain ballot access via petition — a process estimated to cost roughly $500,000 — is not unconstitutional, a federal judge has ruled.
Former IU Medical School student ordered to pay $20K in Title IX case
A former medical school student who sued the Indiana University School of Medicine and its top officials in a Title IX lawsuit has been ordered to pay the institution more than $20,000 despite a pending appeal before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Judge dismisses FedEx from Indianapolis shooting lawsuit
A federal judge has dismissed FedEx from a lawsuit filed by relatives of five of the eight people who were fatally shot last year at an Indianapolis warehouse by a former employee of the shipping giant.
Indianapolis Red Mass honors Sweeney, remembers Kellams
The 2022 Red Mass hosted by the St. Thomas More Society of Central Indiana was a mix of joy and sadness as members of the legal profession came together to celebrate the accomplishments of a well-respected colleague and say goodbye to a longtime friend.
IPAS appeals after district court denies motion seeking plan for faster competency restoration services
A federal court has denied a motion that would have required Indiana to reduce the time criminal defendants who are found incompetent wait to receive competency restoration services, ruling the jails’ treatment for the mentally ill is “minimally adequate.”
Federal judge orders Vigo Co. schools to allow transgender boys to use gender-affirming facilities
A federal judge has ordered the Vigo County School Corp. to allow two transgender students attending Terre Haute North Vigo High School to use their gender-affirming bathrooms and locker rooms.
Pendleton Heights Gay-Straight Alliance wins injunction for access to school resources
A central Indiana school district must give the local high school’s gay-straight alliance access to the same advertising and fundraising resources as other noncurricular organizations, a federal judge has ruled, issuing an injunction after finding a violation of the Equal Access Act.
Lafayette luxury car dealer must face Black former employee’s race discrimination case, Southern District rules
The former sales manager of a Lafayette car dealership can proceed with a race discrimination case against the luxury car dealer after the Indiana Southern District Court denied a motion to dismiss.
Judge: Former school administrator not discriminated against when reassigned to teaching position
A central Indiana school corporation has won summary judgment against a former administrator who claimed she was discriminated against when she was reassigned to a teaching position.
Judge’s reliance on paraphrase leads to overturned sentence
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned the enhanced sentence of an Indiana man, ruling the enhancement did not apply because the gun he possessed was not the one used in the commission of the crime.
Title IX case against IU Medical School officials continues to summary judgment
A Title IX lawsuit filed by a former student against the Indiana University School of Medicine and its top officials will be able to partially continue after a federal court allowed certain due process allegations arising from the expulsion to proceed.
Man convicted of killing IU student Behrman denied SCOTUS review
The man convicted in the murder of Indiana University student Jill Behrman more than 20 years ago will remain in prison after the United States Supreme Court denied cert in his habeas case. The justices denied John Myers’ petition for writ of certiorari Monday.
Pratt named Indiana Southern District Court chief judge
Judge Tanya Walton Pratt has been named the new chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, the court announced Monday, making history as the first person of color to lead the court.