Evansville man gets 110 years for killing wife, another man
An Evansville man convicted of fatally stabbing his estranged wife and her ex-husband has been sentenced to 110 years in prison.
Jurors
Articles
George Floyd murder trial jurors view officer video of struggle, takedown
George Floyd’s struggle with three police officers trying to arrest him, seen on body-camera video, included Floyd’s panicky cries of “I’m sorry, I’m sorry” and “I’m claustrophobic!” as the officers tried to push Floyd into the back of a police SUV.
As in-person trials resume, Marion County courts struggle to get enough jurors to respond to summonses
Following a “drastic” move by the Indiana Supreme Court suspending in-person jury trials from mid-December to March 1, courts across Indiana are attempting to resume the hallmark proceedings of the American judicial system. But in Marion County, finding enough jurors to hold those proceedings has proven difficult.
Former officer’s trial in George Floyd’s death gets underway
A former Minneapolis police officer goes on trial Monday in George Floyd’s death, and jurors may not wait long to see parts of the bystander video that caught Derek Chauvin’s knee on Floyd’s neck, sparking waves of outrage and activism across the U.S. and beyond.
1 of 2 arson convictions vacated for man who burned parole office
A man who set fire to a government building to destroy evidence of pornography constituting parole violations will have one of his arson convictions vacated after the Indiana Court of Appeals used recent caselaw to find a double jeopardy violation.
COA upholds admission of medical bills in $0 pain-and-suffering verdict
Evidentiary rulings that led to a $0 jury verdict for a man who was injured in a car crash were upheld Wednesday by the Indiana Court of Appeals. The case drew participation from the Indiana plaintiff and defense bars.
Northern District Court extends virtual proceedings through June 14
As the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues across Indiana, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana is extending its authorization of video and teleconferencing in court proceedings by three months.
Jury convicts former Portage mayor of bribery in retrial
A federal jury convicted a former northwestern Indiana mayor on a bribery charge Friday in his retrial on allegations he solicited and accepted a $13,000 bribe from a trucking company.
Judge limits evidence, refuses to move trial in Floyd death
A judge on Friday denied a defense request to delay or move the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death after the announcement of a $27 million settlement for Floyd’s family raised concern about a tainted jury.
DTCI: COVID views may be crucial in post-pandemic jury selection
Post-pandemic, jury selection will change, the panel’s makeup may change and the individual potential juror’s responses to questions on the topic of COVID-19 might provide additional insight on the juror’s predilections.
Judge OKs 3rd-degree murder charge for ex-cop in George Floyd death
A judge on Thursday granted prosecutors’ request to add a third-degree murder charge against a former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death, a move that offers jurors an additional option for conviction and finally resolves an issue that might have delayed his trial for months.
Appeals court rejects bid to cut 120-year sentence in Gary double-slaying
A Gary man convicted of a 2003 double-murder failed to convince an appeals panel that his 120-year sentence should be reduced. The Indiana Court of Appeals rejected the arguments Wednesday.
Indiana Southern District to resume in-person jury trials in April
The Southern Indiana District Court has announced plans to resume in-person jury trials in April following a months-long hiatus due to the pandemic. Jury trials in Southern District courts are expected to resume April 5, and clerk offices in all divisions will reopen to the public next week.
Justices uphold life without parole in toddler’s brutalization, murder
A man’s sentence to life in prison without parole in the murder of an 18-month-old whose body bore the marks of torture and sexual abuse has been affirmed on direct appeal to the Indiana Supreme Court.
Southern District jury trial suspensions extended till April
The Indiana Southern District Court has suspended jury trials for an additional month, further delaying in-person trials through April 5 as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The announcement came as the federal court chief judge cited “signs of increased coronavirus spread and evidence of resurgence.”
New American Bar Foundation study details decline of jury trials
Fewer than one in 100 civil matters are decided by juries and less than 4% of criminal cases are, a new study from the American Bar Foundation reports, even as lawyers and judges agree that jury trials tend to be fairer than many alternatives.
7th Circuit reverses judgment against postal worker over juror coercion concerns
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed guilty verdicts against a former Merrillville postal worker convicted in a robbery scheme, finding that a holdout juror at the woman’s trial was subjected to “impermissible coercion.”
CJ Rush: Pandemic changed judiciary, but courts kept working
Speaking with reporters via Zoom on Thursday, Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush acknowledged that despite efforts to keep courts operating remotely as much as possible, judges will face the difficult task in 2021 of working through COVID-created backlogs and getting their dockets back on schedule.
Southern District suspends in-person trials till March
The Indiana Southern District Court has suspended all in-person jury trials until next year, a move announced just days after the Indiana Supreme Court implemented the same restrictions in state court due to the pandemic. Federal in-person jury trials in the Northern District also have been continued until at least late January.
Justices suspend jury trials until March as pandemic continues
The Indiana Supreme Court has taken the “drastic” step of suspending all jury trials in Indiana until March 2021 as Indiana continues to report high numbers of positive COVID-19 cases.