Molter appointed newest Indiana Supreme Court justice
A man characterized as “compassionate” and “forward thinking” with “a brilliant legal mind” has been tapped to fill an upcoming vacancy on the Indiana Supreme Court.
Justices/Judges
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Judge accepts plea deal for Indiana teacher who slapped teen
A judge on Thursday accepted a plea agreement calling for a suspended sentence for a retired northern Indiana teacher accused of grabbing a 15-year-old student and slapping him across the face.
Muncie man sentenced for threatening to ‘blow up’ juvenile magistrate’s home
Days after a Muncie man was arrested for threatening to shoot Delaware County judges, a different Muncie man was sentenced for intimidation after saying he would “blow up” a juvenile magistrate judge’s house if she didn’t rule in his favor.
Armed man arrested near Justice Kavanaugh’s house
The Supreme Court said Wednesday that an armed man who made threats against Justice Brett Kavanaugh was arrested near the justice’s house in Maryland.
Muncie man charged with intimidation for threatening to shoot Delaware County judges
A Muncie man has been charged with five counts of felony intimidation after threatening to “pick off” multiple Delaware County judges with firearms upon his release from jail.
Holcomb to announce new IN Supreme Court justice this week
The newest Indiana Supreme Court justice will be announced sometime this week, the governor’s office has confirmed with Indiana Lawyer.
Source: Whitmer, McConnell, Evers on Wisconsin gunman’s list
A gunman suspected of fatally shooting a retired county judge at a Wisconsin home had a list that included Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Whitmer’s office and a law enforcement source said Saturday.
In historic shift, far fewer teens face adult US courts
Data reported to the FBI each year by thousands of police departments across the country shows the percentage of youths taken into custody who were referred to adult courts has dropped from 8% in 2010 to 2% in 2019. Instead, more teenagers are being sent to juvenile courts or community programs that steer them to counseling, peer mediation and other services aimed at keeping them out of trouble.
Judge Cummins assumes Johnson Superior Court 3 duties
Judge Douglas B. Cummins assumed duties as judge of Johnson Superior Court 3 on Tuesday after the Indiana Supreme Court revoked the pro tempore appointment of Senior Judge Jeffrey C. Eggers.
SCOTUS blocks Texas law on social media censorship
A divided Supreme Court has blocked a Texas law, championed by conservatives, that aimed to keep social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter from censoring users based on their viewpoints.
As other states diversify, Indiana Supreme Court stays all-white, mostly male
Indiana is one of 20 states that has no Black, Latino, Asian American or Native American justices sitting on its Supreme Court, even though people of color make up 23% of the state’s population, according to a new report issued by the Brennan Center for Justice.
Pryor may have easier path to 7th Circuit confirmation than past nominees
Now that she has been nominated to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, Magistrate Judge Doris Pryor of the Southern Indiana District Court is facing a journey to the appellate bench that has not always been smooth for Indiana judges tapped by Democratic presidents.
Poll: High court approval drops after abortion opinion leak
Public approval of the Supreme Court has fallen following the leak of a draft opinion that would overturn the Roe v. Wade decision guaranteeing abortion rights nationwide, according to a poll.
Search for Supreme Court leaker falls to former Army colonel
When Gail Curley began her job as Marshal of the U.S. Supreme Court less than a year ago, she would have expected to work mostly behind the scenes: overseeing the court’s police force and the operations of the marble-columned building where the justices work.
Judge pro tem appointed to Crawford Circuit Court
A new senior judge will take the bench in place of suspended Crawford Circuit Judge Sabrina R. Bell next week.
Justices: Burglar who armed himself after entering residence committed Level 2 felony
The Indiana Supreme Court has concluded that a man who stole a handgun from a partially-paralyzed victim during a burglary and threatened him with it should have his felony conviction enhanced even though he didn’t possess the firearm when he entered the victim’s home.
For Supreme Court justices, secrecy is part of the job
Supreme Court justices have long prized confidentiality. It’s one of the reasons the leak of a draft opinion in a major abortion case last week was so shocking. But it’s not just the justices’ work on opinions that they understandably like to keep under wraps.
People behind the precedents: New book on Court of Appeals of Indiana tells stories of judges who have served
A new book documents the history of Indiana’s Court of Appeals by telling the story through the men and women who have served as judges. Just published this spring, the book, “The Court of Appeals of Indiana,” is a compilation of profiles of the roughly 120 judges who have sat on the appellate bench through its 131-year history.
Overextended: Indiana trial courts strain under justice gaps, lack of legal resources
Getting legal resources to low-income litigants is a major struggle both nationally and on Hoosier soil. According to the Legal Services Corporation 2022 Justice Gap Report, low-income Americans do not get any or enough legal help for 92% of their substantial civil legal problems.
Angry trial judge calls for changes to civil litigation system: Insurance companies faulted for pursuing frivolous claims
By the third paragraph of the April order granting summary judgment to the defendants, Carroll Circuit Judge Benjamin Diener showed his frustration by declaring, “The civil litigation process in Indiana is broken.”