Southern Indiana District Court nominee scheduled for hearing
James R. Sweeney II, the nominee for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, is scheduled to appear before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary tomorrow.
Marion County
Articles
Sentence modification bill inspired by COA ruling
A recent Indiana Court of Appeals decision that prosecutors say went against longstanding practices in the sentence modification process has sparked a conversation in the Indiana legislature about courts’ discretion to modify sentences stemming from fixed-sentence plea agreements.
Church of Cannabis seeks sanctuary in RFRA; Hill asks court to rule for state
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill has asked a court to rule in the state’s favor against what he calls “a small group of marijuana enthusiasts operating in Indianapolis under the name ‘First Church of Cannabis.’” An attorney for the church said he was thrilled at Hill’s response to its lawsuit on religious freedom grounds.
Appellate court affirms battery conviction, probation condition
The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld a man’s battery conviction and probationary prohibition on possession of a firearm, finding the trial court did not err in the process of hearing testimony and imposing a sentence.
Senate committee withholds vote on anti-indemnification bill
An Indiana lawmaker is urging her colleagues to reconsider her proposed attorney anti-indemnification bill after the Senate Civil Law Committee refused to call a vote on the measure.
AG’s office files notice of appeal in immigration case
The Indiana Attorney General’s Office has filed a notice of appeal with the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals after a district court judge struck down its motion to intervene in a federal immigration case that places additional requirements on local law enforcement detaining individuals for the federal government.
Southern Indiana gets new prosecutor focused on violence
The U.S. Justice Department says the federal Southern District of Indiana will receive an additional assistant U.S. attorney to focus exclusively on violent crime.
Ruling: Lids store managers may proceed with pay class-action
Indianapolis-based Lids store managers who claim they were denied overtime pay in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act cleared the first hurdle Tuesday in a proposed class-action lawsuit.
COA affirms defamation verdict but tosses punitive damages
The Indiana Court of Appeals deconstructed a tangle of lawsuits erupting over allegations of theft of more than $1 million from a home building company and ruled that although the accused was found to have breached his fiduciary duty and wrongly taken money, he was still defamed by his accuser.
Conour to be resentenced; feds on guard for ‘brazen’ arguments
The 10-year prison sentence imposed on former attorney and convicted fraudster William Conour has been vacated and remanded for resentencing. The government Wednesday urged the judge who will again resentence him not to indulge arguments that he, rather than former clients he stole from, is a victim.
District court rules language in Indiana abortion statute void for vagueness
In the most recent decision in a lengthy legal battle over the constitutionality of Indiana’s abortion laws, a district court judge has struck down language that would prohibit the receipt, sale, transfer or acquiring of aborted fetal tissue.
Indiana’s struggling child welfare system to test Holcomb
Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb has remained largely silent as children’s advocates, including a member of his own Cabinet, say bean counting by his administration has starved Indiana’s child welfare agency amid a soaring number of cases fueled by the opioid epidemic.
Attorney who claimed improper influence over judges suspended
An attorney who implied to a client that he had the ability to improperly influence judges and suggested his client flee the court’s jurisdiction to avoid criminal prosecution has been suspended for 90 days.
Attorney who claimed improper influence over judges suspended
An attorney who implied to a client that he had the ability to improperly influence judges and suggested his client flee the court’s jurisdiction to avoid criminal prosecution has been suspended for 90 days.
COA upholds 12(B)(6) dismissal of complaint against bank
A bank that removed a home from a sheriff’s sale list did not breach its contract with the property owners through an in rem decree of foreclosure because the decree included language allowing the bank to remove the home from the sale list, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled.
Gymnast McKayla Maroney says settlement covered up sex abuse
Olympic gold medalist McKayla Maroney was forced to sign a confidential settlement with the group that trains U.S. Olympic gymnasts to keep allegations that she was sexually abused by team doctor Larry Nassar a secret, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday.
Urban killings rise in clusters, even as cities grow safer
When she started an urban farm in one of Indianapolis’ roughest neighborhoods, retired chemist Aster Bekele wanted to teach at-risk kids how to garden, and maybe sneak in a little science.
60 senior judges certified for 2018
The Indiana Supreme Court has certified 60 judicial officers as senior judges for the coming year.
Mentally ill woman found not guilty by insanity in pastor’s shooting
After two trials and two convictions of guilty but mentally ill in the shooting death of a Southport pastor, the Indiana Court of Appeals ordered the trial court to enter a finding of not guilty by reason of insanity against the woman who admitted to the shooting.
Attorneys: Guidance needed for waiving presence at hearing
Counsel for both parties to a mental health commitment case agreed on one central issue when they argued before the Indiana Supreme Court on Tuesday: attorneys and judges need guidance on when a respondent’s right to be present at their commitment hearing can be waived.