Former Lake Circuit Judge Paras dies at 70
Funeral services will be later this week for former Lake Circuit Judge George C. Paras, who died in Gary on Friday after an illness. He was 70.
Justices/Judges
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COA: South Bend med-mal appeal lacks issues of fact
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed a grant of summary judgment to a South Bend hospital after it upheld that res ipsa loquitur did not apply to facts in a hip-replacement related negligence claim.
Ineffective counsel arguments in OWI appeal lack cogent reasoning
A man’s arguments on appeal from his drunken-driving conviction that he had ineffective assistance of counsel were rejected in substance and form by the Indiana Court of Appeals on Friday.
Senate concludes Kavanaugh hearing; confirmation likely
After two marathon days questioning Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, senators concluded his confirmation hearing Friday by listening to others talk about him — friends stressing his fairness and warmth but opponents warning he’d roll back abortion rights and shield President Donald Trump. Senators on the Judiciary Committee are likely to vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation on Sept. 20 with a vote by the full Senate the following week.
Red Masses scheduled around the state
Catholic dioceses around Indiana are preparing to celebrate the traditional Red Mass in coming weeks. Special receptions will follow each service and feature keynote speakers discussing an array of topics of interest to the legal community.
Judges to mark Constitution Day with school visits this month
Judges across Indiana will mark the 231st anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution on Sept. 17 by visiting schools and sharing with students the importance of the nation’s founding legal document.
What to watch for as senators consider Kavanaugh nomination
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is set for a week of marathon hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Republicans are focusing on Kavanaugh’s 12-year career as an appellate court judge, while Democrats are expected to grill the 53-year-old conservative on hot-button issues that could swing the court’s majority rightward.
Lake County JNC seeking applicants to succeed Tavitas
Applications are now being accepted to fill a vacancy on the Lake County Superior Court created when Judge Elizabeth F. Tavitas joined the Indiana Court of Appeals last month.
John Dean of Nixon fame to testify at Kavanaugh hearing
The Senate Judiciary Committee has added former Solicitor General Theodore Olson and former White House counsel John Dean to the list of witnesses who will testify next week in the confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh to serve on the Supreme Court.
Affirming juvenile DOC placement, COA seeks effective counsel guidance
A 15-year-old who had multiple instances of violent rage and who could no longer be controlled by his parents was properly placed in the Department of Correction, an Indiana Court of Appeals panel found. But judges also used the case to ask the Indiana Supreme Court for guidance on measuring the effectiveness of counsel in similar juvenile cases.
Assumptions in bankruptcy case leave 7th Circuit ‘colored skeptical’
Assumptive arguments made by a bankruptcy trustee suing former bank directors were rejected by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, which said his assertions colored the court skeptical.
7th Circuit: Contract enforceable by mutuality of obligation
A contract dispute between a rubber product maker and its supplier was settled when the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a decision that claimed the parties’ agreement was unenforceable.
Injured man’s OWI for crash outside police station affirmed
A man who drove to a police station in Porter County after he was hurt in a fight at a party, then apparently unconsciously drove his truck into vehicles parked outside the station, lost his appeal of his drunken-driving conviction.
7th Circuit slaps ALJ, remands engineer’s disability case after stroke
A district court’s decision affirming a Social Security administrative law judge’s ruling on the onset date of an engineer’s disability was vacated Wednesday by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, which found medical and other evidence strongly suggests an earlier disability date.
Shifting strategy, Democrats to begin meeting with Kavanaugh
After weeks of refusing to meet with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Democrats in the Senate plan to begin meeting with him when they start returning to Washington in mid-August, a senior Democratic aide said Friday.
Judge who heard Nassar case won’t disqualify herself
A Michigan judge who held an extraordinary hearing before sentencing sports doctor Larry Nassar to prison for sexually assaulting female athletes refused to disqualify herself from the case Friday if higher courts send it back to fix any errors. Ingham County Judge Rosemarie Aquilina said some of her courtroom comments about Nassar were “perhaps inartful,” but she denied any bias.
Memorial honoring Lozano scheduled for next month
The Indiana Northern District Court will honor the late Senior Judge Rudy Lozano at a memorial service in his honor next month. The service will begin at 2 p.m. Sept. 24 in Lozano's courtroom in the Hammond Federal Courthouse, 5400 Federal Plaza.
Judge in Manafort trial brings short fuse and sharp wit
Lawyers who have appeared before Thomas Selby Ellis III, the judge hearing the Paul Manafort trial, said he likes to be seen as the smartest person in the courtroom, not a huge leap for a judge. With his Princeton-Harvard-Oxford education and experience spanning consequential cases in an era of war and terrorism Ellis is known to cut lawyers down to size, sometimes subtly, sometimes not so much.
Judge to hear Nassar’s request that she disqualify herself
A judge who sentenced disgraced former sports doctor Larry Nassar to prison for molesting girls will hold a hearing on a request that she disqualify herself from his appeal of the sentence. Nassar’s court-appointed appellate lawyers said the judge was biased, citing comments such as saying she would allow someone “to do to him what he did to others” if the constitution allowed.
Man convicted of bogus liens on judges loses appeal
A man who used the sovereign citizen tactic of filing phony liens against multiple Indiana federal judges lost his appeal Monday. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Brent A. Swallers' conviction of filing a false lien and encumbrance against a federal judge