Lead testing bill clears Statehouse
A bill that requires schools across Indiana to test their water for lead contamination has passed the Statehouse and is headed to the governor’s desk.
Lake County
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Conviction upheld for ex-Gary city employee who ordered, sold iPads
A former employee of the City of Gary who purchased more than $1.3 million in computer equipment and resold it for cash lost an appeal of her conviction and sentence before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday.
Coronavirus impacting Indiana courts, law firms, schools
The Indiana legal community is taking precautions and ramping up efforts to stay healthy as the coronavirus spreads. Meanwhile, Faegre Drinker announced Wednesday that it had reopened most of its offices Wednesday, including its Indianapolis location. The firm had closed all 22 of its global offices Tuesday after a person who attend a firm event in Washington, D.C., tested positive for COVID-19.
Attorney accused of tax evasion suspended; 2 justices would disbar
A Schererville attorney previously arraigned in federal court on charges of tax evasion and failure to pay federal income taxes has been suspended from the practice of law for three years without automatic reinstatement, the Indiana Supreme Court ordered Tuesday. Some of the justices, however, said they would disbar the attorney.
Foreclosure ruling for homeowner reversed after ‘near-blanket exclusion’ of evidence
A Lake Superior judge who threw out a bank’s mortgage foreclosure lawsuit against a homeowner and entered judgment in her favor was reversed by the Indiana Court of Appeals, which found the court abused its discretion in ordering a “near-blanket exclusion” of the bank’s evidence.
Indiana community battling shoreline erosion files lawsuit
An Indiana community along Lake Michigan has filed a federal lawsuit over its battle with shoreline erosion, saying the town’s infrastructure is in danger of “total destruction.” The suit comes as homeowners and communities along the lakeshore deal with record high water levels in the Great Lakes.
Hammond man convicted in 2018 sledgehammer attack gets new attorney
A northwestern Indiana judge has approved a new attorney for a man who wants to seek a mistrial after being convicted in a sledgehammer attack that wounded another man outside of a school.
COA upholds sentence for man who repeatedly stabbed wife
A Lake County man who stabbed repeatedly stabbed his wife did not convince the Indiana Court of Appeals on Wednesday that his nearly 30-year sentence for the crime was inappropriate.
Lawmakers honor retiring Judge Baker with jokes, well wishes
A staple of the Indiana judiciary for more than 40 years, Indiana Court of Appeals Judge John G. Baker was honored by members of the Legislature ahead of his impending retirement.
Legislation, lawsuits used to combat Indiana’s lead problem as contamination cases persist
Organizations and individuals around Indiana have been pushing for a solution to the lead problem. The toxin is everywhere and exposure, especially in very young children, can cause lifelong cognitive impairment.
Split justices rule for bar after fight left patron blind
A split Indiana Supreme Court reversed Tuesday in a northern Indiana bar’s favor, finding the establishment did not owe a duty to a man who was blinded after bar fight took place in its parking lot.
Domestic battery charges against Lake County official dismissed
Six domestic battery charges have been dismissed against Lake County Recorder Michael B. Brown after his attorneys provided prosecutors with videos showing the alleged victim hitting him in front of children several times and defecating on his personal belongings.
Police: Hobart couple forced boys off road, angered by Trump flags
A northwestern Indiana couple allegedly used a car to force two teenage boys off a road, angered that the twin brothers were riding bicycles adorned with flags supporting President Donald Trump, before ripping one of the sibling’s flag from his bike, police said Friday.
Holcomb orders steps on Lake Michigan shoreline erosion
As the Great Lakes continue to rise to record levels and the Indiana shoreline of Lake Michigan continues to erode and put at risk nearby homes, roads and infrastructure, Gov. Eric Holcomb on Thursday took official action that may be a catalyst for a future disaster declaration.
Lake Michigan shore fight continues in court, Legislature
The years-long struggle between public and private rights along Indiana’s Lake Michigan shoreline continues in the Indiana Statehouse and in federal court, even as the state marks the two-year anniversary of a landmark Indiana Supreme Court decision that ruled in the public’s favor.
Judge who resigned appointed pro tem of Lowell Town Court
A judge pro tempore has been appointed to a northwestern Indiana town court after its sitting judge resigned and no local attorney was available to serve as judge, according to an Indiana Supreme Court order.
Man sentenced to 4 years in E. Chicago shooting death
A 19-year-old Indiana man was sentenced to serve four years in prison Friday after pleading guilty to the fatal shooting of an innocent bystander during a shootout with police.
Man accused of stabbing grandparents to undergo assessment
A northwestern Indiana judge has approved a mental health assessment to determine if a man accused of stabbing his grandparents with a butcher knife in their home is competent to stand trial.
EPA orders hazardous waste probe at shuttered E. Chicago site
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has launched a hazardous waste investigation at a sprawling former oil refinery in northwestern Indiana that was shuttered in 1973 and later was the scene of a major fire.
More than 2,400 fetuses found at Illinois home to be buried
In what’s sure to be a politically charged ceremony, more than 2,400 fetuses found last year at the suburban Chicago home of one of the Midwest’s most prolific abortion doctors will be buried Wednesday in Indiana, a state with some of the nation’s toughest anti-abortion laws.