St. Joseph Judge Hostetler certified as senior judge
A former St. Joseph Superior Court judge has been granted senior judge status following his retirement.
Justices/Judges
Articles
Molter continues family legal legacy on Court of Appeals
Private practitioner Derek Molter has been chosen as the newest Indiana Court of Appeals judge. Indiana’s governor selected Molter, a partner at Ice Miller LLP and a leader of the firm’s appellate practice, to succeed Judge James Kirsch, who is retiring from the 15-member Indiana Court of Appeals in September.
Justices to consider whether independent physician liability extends to nonhospitals
The Indiana Supreme Court has agreed to consider the question of whether the same liability hospitals hold for independent-contractor physicians can be extended to nonhospital facilities.
7th Circuit upholds search warrant that contained false information
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the Northern Indiana District Court that a federal agent’s explanations were plausible and he was “at worst, negligent…” when he obtained a search warrant by telling a magistrate judge a controlled delivery of drugs would be made and then told the magistrate judge the illegal drugs had been recovered even though no drugs had ever been delivered or retrieved.
COA Judge Vaidik recovering, returning to work
Indiana Court of Appeals Judge Nancy Vaidik has resumed her caseload and is expected to attend upcoming court events after being injured while bicycling near her home in Porter County earlier this summer.
St. Joseph County judge applications open following Chapleau retirement
A judicial vacancy in Northern Indiana has prompted the St. Joseph County Judicial Nominating Commission to start the process of selecting a new superior court judge, the Indiana Supreme Court announced Friday.
3 lawyers facing suspensions
Three Hoosier lawyers are facing disciplinary sanctions after the Indiana Supreme Court handed down orders suspending their law licenses.
7th Circuit upholds denial of disability benefits based on expert testimony
An administrative law judge’s reliance on expert testimony in denying a claim for disability benefits was proper because the claimant suffered from both exertional and nonexertional limits, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled.
Nominations for 2021 Leadership in Law Awards due Friday
There is less than a week left to submit nominations for Indiana Lawyer’s 2021 Leadership in Law awards. All nominations must be submitted by Friday.
Robing ceremony set for Lake Superior Judge Bokota
The Lake County Bar Association will hold an in-person robing ceremony in honor of the newest judge of the Lake Superior Court later this month.
US Supreme Court backs Minnesota Amish in septic tank fight
The U.S. Supreme Court sided Friday with members of an Amish group in Minnesota who are fighting efforts by authorities to compel them to install septic systems, sending their appeal back to a state court for reconsideration in light of the high court’s recent ruling in a religious freedom case.
Ex-officer pleads guilty to manslaughter, family objects
The mother of a Black man fatally shot by a white former Nashville officer sobbed, screamed and knocked over a lectern Friday as she begged a judge not to accept a plea deal she says was struck in secret without her knowledge.
New bankruptcy judge appointed to Indiana Northern District
St. Joseph Superior Court Magistrate Judge Paul E. Singleton has been appointed to a 14-year term as bankruptcy judge in the Indiana Northern District based in South Bend. Singleton will take office July 29, succeeding bankruptcy Judge Harry C. Dees, Jr.
Unusually agreeable justices end term with conservative wins
An unusually agreeable Supreme Court term ended with conservative-driven decisions on voting rights and charitable-donor disclosures that offered a glimpse of what the coming years of the right’s dominance could look like for the nation’s highest court.
Supreme Court upholds Arizona voting restrictions
The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld voting restrictions in Arizona in a decision that could make it harder to challenge other voting measures put in place by Republican lawmakers following last year’s elections.
Supreme Court revives St. Louis police in-custody death case
The Supreme Court on Monday revived claims of excessive force against St. Louis police officers in a case in which a homeless man died after being restrained in handcuffs and leg shackles.
Senate confirms Jackson-Akiwumi to 7th Circuit
In a 53-40 vote Thursday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Candace Jackson-Akiwumi to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, making her the first person of color to sit on that bench since Judge Ann Claire Williams, the first person of color to join that court, retired in 2018.
At long last, Clark County gets two new judges
A public defender and an attorney with the Indiana Department of Child Services have been appointed by Gov. Eric Holcomb to serve as judges in Clark County’s two new superior courts.
Justices reappoint Tippecanoe Co. judge to Public Defender Commission
The Indiana Supreme Court has reappointed Tippecanoe Superior Court 2 Judge Steven P. Meyer to serve on the Indiana Public Defender Commission.
Court: If bias rules have exceptions, faith groups qualify
Justice Samuel Alito called it a “wisp” of a decision — a Supreme Court ruling Thursday that favored Catholic Social Services in Philadelphia but was far from the constitutional gale wind that would have reshaped how courts interpret religious liberty under the First Amendment.