Marion County begins first judicial retention interviews
Marion County’s first judicial retention interviews are underway, with interviews completed Monday morning for seven of the 16 Marion County judges seeking retention this year.
Judicial recusals
Articles
Fogle’s errant filing: Being mom to teen girls makes judge biased
Disgraced Subway pitchman Jared Fogle has moved for District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt’s recusal from his child pornography case, alleging the fact that she has teenage daughters creates a bias against him. A major problem with his argument: Pratt has no teenage daughters.
Judge declines recusal in fraudster Durham’s case
Indiana Southern District Chief Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson has denied a motion for her recusal in a civil case against convicted fraudster Tim Durham, determining her relationships with leaders of Indiana’s Democratic Party did not create the appearance of or actual bias.
Federal judge retires as he faces accusations
The sexual misconduct allegations that have cut a swath through Congress brought down a prominent member of the judicial branch Monday with the resignation of Alex Kozinski, a federal appeals court judge known for his blunt and colorful legal opinions.
Murder conviction affirmed after judge recusal appeal
A man who murdered a friend and shot and wounded another lost his appeal that argued the jurist who rejected his guilty plea then presided over his murder trial wrongly denied a motion for a new judge.
Appeals court says Facebook ‘friends’ aren’t always friends
Legally, Facebook friends aren't necessarily your friends. That was the opinion from a Florida appeals court Wednesday.
Prosecutor’s involvement in judge’s re-election committee doesn’t require recusal
The Howard County prosecutor’s membership on a sitting judge’s re-election campaign committee did not require the judge to recuse himself in two separate cases, two panels of the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.
COA recommends judge’s recusal in remand of motion to contest adoption
In a 41-page opinion handed down Thursday, the Indiana Court of Appeals reversed the dismissal of a putative father’s motion to contest adoption, finding that the adoptive parents had caused delays in the court proceedings and also noting that the judge in the case should have recused himself to avoid the appearance of impropriety.
Adams Co. judge not required to recuse himself from case involving former client
An Adams County judge who presided over a case in which the defendant was his former legal client was not required to recuse himself, the Indiana Court of Appeals found Monday.
7th Circuit: Judge should have disqualified herself in sentence challenge
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that a federal judge in Indianapolis should have excused herself from hearing a man’s petition regarding his sentence because she was the one who sentenced him while she was a judge in state court. In doing so, the federal appellate court overturned two lines of decisions.
Justices find judicial bias in Pennsylvania death row case
The Supreme Court of the United States ruled Thursday that the former chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court was wrong to participate in the case of a death row inmate whose prosecution he personally approved nearly 30 years earlier.
Judge in power plant body case once represented suspect
A southwestern Indiana judge who will preside over the murder trial of a man accused in a killing at a power plant has told attorneys that he once represented the suspect in an unrelated case.
Judge recuses self in suspected Indiana serial killings case
A man charged with strangling two women and suspected in the deaths of five other women whose bodies were found in abandoned homes in Gary is getting a new judge.
New judge assigned to 2nd trial of former Lake Station mayor
A judge accused of falling asleep during the trial of the former Lake Station mayor and his wife has recused himself from a second trial involving them.
Judge removes herself from county treasurer cases
The judge overseeing the case of a central Indiana treasurer charged with mishandling public money and a lawsuit aimed at removing him from office has disqualified herself from both cases.
County treasurer says judge also mishandled money
A central Indiana county treasurer charged with mishandling public money wants the judge overseeing his case to step aside, arguing she did the same thing.
Judges clarify how plaintiff may have case reinstated
In a rehearing requested by a plaintiff whose legal actions were dismissed in Marion Superior Court, the Indiana Court of Appeals clarified its original holding on how the man may have his actions reinstated.
Attorneys ask judge to recuse himself from Simon case
Attorneys for Bren Simon turned their ire toward a Hamilton County judge on Tuesday, asking him to recuse himself from a legal battle over real estate magnate Melvin Simon's $2 billion estate.
Chief’s recusal results in split Supreme Court
The same day it heard arguments about the dissolution of a Brown County fire district, the Indiana Supreme Court reinstated the intermediate court’s ruling on the case because of a 2-2 division caused by the recusal of Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard.
Judges not required to report recusals, reasons for stepping aside
Judicial recusals are a serious topic, but Indiana law professor Charles Geyh can’t help but wonder how much lawyers and the public really know about requests and reasons for judges to step away from a case.