Mears promises to be independent, tough on violent crime as Marion County prosecutor
Ryan Mears has been named the new Marion County prosecutor, replacing former Prosecutor Terry Curry.
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Judge hearing suit over Indiana’s religious objections law
Conservative religious groups are arguing their constitutional rights were violated by limits that were placed on Indiana’s contentious religious objections law signed in 2015 by then-Gov. Mike Pence.
House Democrats subpoena Giuliani in Trump impeachment probe
Democrats on Monday subpoenaed Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer who was at the heart of Trump’s efforts to get Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden’s family.
Indy mayoral candidates want state law to better protect tenants
The major party candidates for Indianapolis mayor say they want to see changes in the state’s eviction laws that could help prevent some people from becoming homeless.
Mears announces candidacy for Marion County prosecutor
Ryan Mears, who was tapped to serve as interim Marion County prosecutor earlier this week, announced his candidacy for the office Wednesday.
Pelosi announces official impeachment inquiry
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has announced the United States House of Representatives is moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump.
Trump ordered aid frozen; more Democrats want impeachment
President Donald Trump ordered his staff to freeze nearly $400 million in aid to Ukraine a few days before a phone call in which he pressured the eastern European nation’s leader to investigate the family of political rival Joe Biden, a revelation that comes as more Democrats move toward impeachment proceedings.
Federal court blocks Indiana law banning smokable hemp
Indiana’s law criminalizing smokable hemp has been snuffed out, at least temporarily, by a federal court, which found the proponents of hemp made convincing arguments that the federal farm bill of 2018, expanding the definition of hemp and removing the plant from the federal schedule of controlled substances, pre-empted the state statute.
House committee approves guidelines for impeachment hearings
U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler says there’s no confusion about what his committee is doing: It’s an impeachment investigation, no matter how you want to phrase it.
Attorney General Hill stalls BMV gender change rule
Indiana’s attorney general is stalling a measure that would allow people to change their gender on driver’s licenses and IDs, according to the state’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
Despite state’s ‘negligence or malice,’ court denies ballot-access injunction
An Indianapolis resident who wanted to add his name to the November mayoral ballot cannot do so now that a federal judge has upheld a finding by the Marion County Election Board that the would-be candidate failed to acquire enough legitimate voter signatures. However, the court also raised concerns about language on a candidate form that could make it “more difficult for voters to support independent candidates,” yet found the language was not enough of a burden to overrule the board’s decision.
Interview: Gorsuch rues loss of civility but mum on Trump
Justice Neil Gorsuch is following the path of Supreme Court colleagues-turned-authors in a new book in which he laments the loss of civility in public discourse. The 52-year-old justice wrote “A Republic, If You Can Keep It” because Americans should remember their political opponents “love this country as much as we do,” Gorsuch said in an interview.
Fired Elkhart city attorney fails to overcome appointee determination
A former Elkhart city attorney who was told she was being fired because the new mayor wanted “to hire my own guy” could not overcome the precedent the Northern Indiana District Court used to determine she was an appointed policymaker and therefore not covered by federal protections.
Candidate’s suit challenges caucus to pick Johnson County prosecutor
The selection of a new Johnson County prosecutor will continue as scheduled Thursday night, even though one of the candidates filed a lawsuit attempting to stop the Republican Party caucus to select a successor to Bradley Cooper, who was removed from office.
7th Circuit: Indiana voter purge provision violates federal law
In a ruling that reminded Indiana of the need to protect the integrity of the voting process, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the state from kicking individuals off the voter rolls based solely on a match in the Crosscheck database.
7th Circuit blocks Indiana voter purge law
A federal appeals court has confirmed that Indiana’s attempt to cleanse its voter rolls by using the controversial Crosscheck database violates the National Voter Registration Act. The ruling upholds a lower court ruling in a suit brought by a national public-interest group.
Key motivator for Democrat Tallian’s AG bid: ‘Curtis Hill has to go’
Vowing an aggressive campaign in a race that in the past has often been overshadowed by upticket contests, Democratic Indiana Sen. Karen Tallian explained what motivated her to announce her candidacy for attorney general. “My answer is Curtis Hill has to go, and somebody needs to do it, and it needs to be attorneys.”
Plaintiffs challenge Mich. redistricting panel’s independence
The release of emails in the gerrymandering lawsuit brought by the League of Women Voters spurred Michigan residents to strip their legislators of redistricting duties and turn the mapmaking over to an independent commission. However, a new federal lawsuit is challenging the new body, asserting the exclusion of certain individuals violates the First and 14th amendments.
Long partisan gerrymandering fight ends, but struggle continues
For a team of Indiana lawyers who successfully litigated a case contesting partisan gerrymandering in Michigan, a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision was a disappointment that likely will vacate the judgment in their favor. Legal observers say the issue now will be fought in statehouses across the country.
Johnson County GOP delays selection of new prosecutor
The selection of a new Johnson County prosecutor has been delayed two weeks after county Republicans were told Thursday night that none of the candidates had filed all of the necessary forms.