Lake, Monroe counties, Bloomington join opioid lawsuit
Officials of two Indiana counties and one city are joining a lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies and distributors for their alleged role in fueling the opioid abuse crisis.
Lake County
Articles
COA overturns summary judgment in contract dispute
In the second appeal stemming from a cancelled contract between Lake County and a delinquent tax collector, the Indiana Court of Appeals has reversed a grant of summary judgment in favor of the county based on its precedent from a previous 2015 decision.
Lawsuit: Gary’s ordinance violates ‘sanctuary city’ ban
An influential conservative lawyer is suing a northwestern Indiana city for allegedly violating the state’s ban on so-called sanctuary cities with its “welcoming city” ordinance approved earlier this year.
Lawyer sentenced to 2 years for wire fraud conviction
A disbarred Lake County lawyer convicted of wire fraud after he was accused of draining a receivership of more than $330,000 was sentenced to two years in federal prison Tuesday.
Feds seek 4-5-year sentence for ex-attorney in wire fraud case
A disbarred northern Indiana attorney who drained a grocery store receivership of more than $330,000 then covered up his crimes for more than a decade should receive a sentence of about four to five years in federal prison on Tuesday, prosecutors say.
Ex-Indiana sheriff’s bribery sentencing moved to January
The sentencing of former Lake County Sheriff John Buncich on his federal bribery and wire fraud conviction has been moved to mid-January.
District court dismisses suit against police department for failure to investigate rape claim
A district court judge has dismissed both federal and state claims against a northern Indiana police department accused of failing to adequately investigate a rape case, finding the plaintiff and alleged rape victim failed to state a claim for relief on constitutional or equal protection grounds.
Free speech, fair trials collide at ex-Lake County sheriff’s sentencing
With Lake County seemingly awash in political corruption, a local newspaper is trying to uproot the culture of kickbacks and payouts by putting the spotlight on those who speak in favor of the latest elected official to be convicted. The Lake County Bar Association formally opposes the action.
Ex-Merrillville councilman admits guilt in bribery case
A former councilman for the town of Merrillville has admitted taking bribes in a federal plea agreement.
Summary judgment affirmed for semi-truck air supplier
The dangers presented by the placement of an air hose at a truck stop were known and obvious to a driver who fell and injured himself on the hose, making summary judgment to the owner and servicer of the hose appropriate, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Friday.
COA reverses directed verdict in OB-GYN’s favor
A northern Indiana trial court must revisit the issue of whether a doctor adequately informed his patient of the risks associated with having a natural birth after the Indiana Court of Appeals reversed a grant of a directed verdict in the doctor’s favor on the issue of informed consent.
Hammond latest to sue drug companies over opioid crisis
Hammond has become the latest government entity to sue pharmaceutical companies and distributors for their alleged role in fueling the opioid abuse crisis.
Indiana man accused of stealing, selling railroad bridge
He asked, they told him no, but he did it anyway, authorities say, accusing a scrap-metal dealer of taking apart an abandoned railroad bridge and selling the metal for $18,000.
East Chicago homeowners sue companies over lead, arsenic
Thirty-eight homeowners in East Chicago have filed a lawsuit claiming the lead and arsenic contamination caused by former manufacturing operations near their neighborhood have decreased the value of their homes and inflicted emotional distress.
Supreme Court to hear legal malpractice, marijuana cases
The fate of a legal malpractice claim will be decided by the Indiana Supreme Court next week after the justices hear oral arguments to decide whether the claim can continue. Justices also will hear a case challenging the probable cause that led to a man’s conviction after discovery of a marijuana grow.
COA reinstates suit delayed due to lawyer’s ‘abdication’
Despite an almost two-year span with no action on a car-crash complaint, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled the plaintiff may move forward with the suit because the unique facts of the case do not warrant dismissal for failure to prosecute.
Secession effort renewed by some Griffith residents
Some residents of Griffith in northwestern Indiana’s Lake County want their community to secede from the township it’s located within.
Prosecutor: No charges after police shooting near Chicago
An Indiana prosecutor has determined that police officers acted in self-defense in the fatal shooting of a suspected car thief following a chase in an Indiana suburb of Chicago.
Murder conviction affirmed after judge recusal appeal
A man who murdered a friend and shot and wounded another lost his appeal that argued the jurist who rejected his guilty plea then presided over his murder trial wrongly denied a motion for a new judge.
COA rejects town’s request to annex territory for possible property development
The Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled against a northern Indiana lakefront town seeking to annex roughly 2,800 acres for “potential” economic development, finding the town failed to prove the annexation was needed and could be used for development.