Lake Co. must pay probation officers’ legal expenses, COA rules
Lake County must foot the bill for legal expenses incurred by two probation officers in a federal lawsuit brought by a probationer, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled.
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Census Bureau: 70% of voters cast ballots early or by mail
More than two-thirds of all U.S. citizens of the voting age population participated in the 2020 presidential election, according to a new U.S. Census Bureau report, and 69% of those cast ballots by mail or early in-person voting — methods that Republicans in some states are curtailing.
Lawyers question Rokita’s actions in lawsuit filed by governor
Attorney General Todd Rokita’s move to insert himself into the dispute between Gov. Eric Holcomb and the Indiana General Assembly over executive power is being challenged by members of the legal profession who see the state’s top lawyer as violating his oath and overstepping his authority.
Wary Supreme Court weighs student’s Snapchat profanity case
A wary Supreme Court on Wednesday weighed whether public schools can discipline students for things they say off campus, worrying about overly restricting speech on the one hand and leaving educators powerless to deal with bullying on the other.
Supreme Court wrestles with New Jersey pipeline case
The Supreme Court on Wednesday wrestled with how to resolve a clash between the state of New Jersey and a pipeline company over land the company needs for a natural gas pipeline.
Investors in Terre Haute, Gary casinos sue gaming commission over emergency rule
Investors in two Indiana casinos have filed a lawsuit against the Indiana Gaming Commission, alleging the entity overstepped its authority with an emergency rule adopted late last year.
COA: Landowners violated ordinance by building ‘pond,’ but attorney fees not supported in ordinance
Two homeowners who built a pond in an airport district without a permit violated a local ordinance, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday, affirming judgment in favor of the local plan commission. However, an award of nearly $8,000 in attorney fees for the commission must be vacated.
SCOTUS to settle circuit split in foreign arbitration case
An aircraft engine fire that sparked a foreign arbitration discovery battle between an American manufacturer and a British company over a 150-year-old law is headed to the United States Supreme Court for clarification.
Stafford: Hoosiers may yet vote by mail; lawyers will vote by email
Indiana has no legitimate excuse to require “excuses” for registered voters who wish to cast an absentee ballot. The state is not our parent, and in the last vote, plenty of us determined that as grown adults we shouldn’t have to go through a ridiculous exercise of asking their permission. The last thing that ought to be is a law.
Holcomb’s lawsuit draws rebuke from Attorney General
Following the Legislature’s override of his veto, Gov. Eric Holcomb has filed a lawsuit against the legislative branch, claiming the provisions in HEA 1123 which allow the Indiana General Assembly to call itself into “emergency session” are unconstitutional. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, however, is asserting that his office has the exclusive authority to resolve the dispute.
Gary gun dealer target of Chicago lawsuit
The city of Chicago filed a lawsuit Monday against Westforth Sports in Gary, alleging the retailer has “engaged in a pattern of illegal sales that has resulted in the flow of hundreds, if not thousands, is illegal firearms” across state lines and into the Windy City.
Student’s Snapchat profanity leads to high court speech case
Fourteen-year-old Brandi Levy was having that kind of day where she just wanted to scream. So she did, in a profanity-laced posting on Snapchat that has, improbably, ended up before the Supreme Court in the most significant case on student speech in more than 50 years.
Justices hear arguments in ‘fraud’ case stemming from missed diagnosis
The distinction between active and constructive fraud has long been established in Indiana law. But should that distinction be abolished, or an exception carved out? That question is before the Indiana Supreme Court in a closely watched medical malpractice lawsuit.
House seat numbers can’t be released before next week
The numbers used for deciding how many congressional seats each state gets can’t be released before Monday, according to an agreement that settles litigation between the U.S. Census Bureau and a coalition of local governments and civil rights groups.
SCOTUS wants Indiana to respond to absentee voting suit
U.S. Supreme Court justices want Indiana to justify its absentee voting restrictions and have formally requested the Indiana Attorney General’s Office to respond to a constitutional challenge after the state previously waived its right to reply.
St. Joe JNC names new finalist to succeed Reagan after previous finalist appointed to bench
A new finalist has been submitted to the governor to fill an upcoming vacancy on the St. Joseph Superior Court after a previous finalist was selected for a different judicial position.
Judge: BP’s Whiting refinery violated soot emission limits
A BP refinery in northwestern Indiana repeatedly violated air pollution standards for soot emissions between 2015 and 2018, a federal judge ruled in a lawsuit brought by environmental advocates.
Westfield Council votes to involve itself in legal fight between mayor, clerk-treasurer
The Westfield City Council on Monday decided to get more involved in the ongoing and expanding legal fight between the city’s mayor and clerk-treasurer by launching an investigation into the matter.
GOP-led states lose bid to challenge immigration rule
A federal appeals court in California refused Thursday to permit 14 states led by Republican governors to challenge the overturning of a Trump-era immigration rule affecting hundreds of thousands of people. A panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 against permitting intervention by the states, including Indiana.
Store managers not involved in customer injuries not liable for negligence, justices rule
In answering a certified question from a federal judge, the Indiana Supreme Court held Wednesday that store managers who are not directly involved in a patron’s injury on store property cannot be held liable for negligence under Indiana law.