Opinions

Indiana Supreme Court
Reginald Harris v. State of Indiana
45S03-1703-CR-172
Criminal. Affirms Reginald Harris’ convictions for battery against a public safety official and resisting law enforcement. Finds the Lake Superior Court was within its discretion to admit Summer Snow’s gun as evidence. Also finds that although the gun was not relevant to Harris’ crimes, he failed to seek a separate trial or a limiting instruction, thus waiving any argument that the gun’s admission denied him a fair trial.

Indiana Court of Appeals
James A. Hart v. State of Indiana
59A01-1607-CR-1655
Criminal. Reverses James Hart’s conviction of Class A misdemeanor invasion of privacy. Finds the Orange Superior Court did not properly advise Hart of the dangers of representing himself and, thus, he did not knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily waive his right to counsel verbally or through his conduct. Remands for a new trial.

Indiana Supreme Court
William McNeal v. State of Indiana
49S05-1706-CR-405
Criminal. Grants transfer and vacates the Court of Appeals’ discussion in its opinion of the community caretaking function, specifically the final sentence of Section 1, the entirety of Section 1.1, the first phrase of Section 1.2 and the second sentence of the paragraph numbered 25. Summarily affirms the remainder of the Court of Appeals’ opinion, including the rest of Section 1.2 and Section 2.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Daviess-Martin County Joint Parks and Recreation Department, Daviess County Indiana, and Daviess County Health Department v. The Estate of Waylon W. Abel by John Abel, Personal Representative, et al.
19A04-1607-CT-1563
Civil tort. Reverses the denial of the Daviess-Martin Joint County Parks & Recreation Department, Daviess County, Indiana, and the Daviess County Health Department’s motions for summary judgment regarding a negligence claim by the estate of Waylon Abel, and John Abel on behalf of the dependent children of Waylon Abel. Finds the county, parks board and health department did not have a duty to Waylon Abel.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Jack Allen Delauter v. Angela Lee Delauter (mem. dec.)
85A02-1611-DR-2644
Domestic relation. Affirms and reverses in part the Wabash Superior Court’s findings of fact and judgment dissolving Jack Allen Delauter’s marriage to Angela Lee Delauter. Finds the trial court’s conclusion the North Central Respiratory Inc. property had a value of $62,000 as a marital asset contradicts the finding that Jack Delauter’s one-half share was worth $31,000.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Eric Horton v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.)
49A02-1702-CR-291
Criminal. Affirms Eric Horton’s sentence to two consecutive terms of 60 years for two murder convictions. Finds Horton’s sentence is not inappropriate.

Indiana Supreme Court
In the Matter of: Everett E. Powell, II
49S00-1504-DI-231
Disciplinary. Disbars Everett Powell. Finds Powell committed attorney misconduct by falsifying evidence and knowingly making false statements to the Supreme Court and the Disciplinary Commission in an attempt to be reinstated to the practice of law.

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
United States of America v. Anthony J. Minney
16-4057
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division. Judge Larry J. McKinney.
Criminal. Affirms denial of Anthony Minney’s motion to suppress evidence of guns found during a search of his apartment. Finds the plain-view doctrine is controlling and the discovery of the guns falls under that doctrine.

Indiana Court of Appeals
David L. Jenner and Vickie Jenner v. Bloomington Cellular Services, Inc. and Crown Castle South LLC.
53A05-1606-MI-1415
Miscellaneous. Divided panel affirms a trial court ruling finding the Jenners’ tax deed for a Bloomington property housing a cell tower void for lack of statutory compliance.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Lawrence Benton Roper v. State of Indiana
53A04-1607-CR-1691
Criminal. Affirms Lawrence Benton Roper’s convictions of two counts of Level 4 felony dealing cocaine and one count each of Level 5 felonies dealing cocaine and dealing a narcotic drug. Finds Roper waived his request for a speedy trial by conduct inconsistent with seeking a speedy trial.

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
John Lee Futrell v. United States of America
16-3079
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division. Judge Tanya Walton Pratt.
Civil. Affirms the dismissal of John Lee Futrell’s claim against the U.S. government under the Federal Tort Claims Act. Finds the case of Feres v. United States, 340 U.S. 135 (1950), is still controlling law.

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Gregory L. Cripe and Tammy Cripe v. Henkel Corporation and National Starch & Chemical, Co.
17-1231
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, South Bend Division. Judge Philip P. Simon.
Civil. Affirms the district court’s grant of summary judgment to Henkel Corp. Finds that Henkel provided reasons to think methylene diphenyl diisocyanate could not have caused Gregory Cripe’s symptoms, and Cripe offered no contrary evidence.

The following Indiana Tax Court opinion was posted after IL deadline Monday:
Evansville Courier Company Inc. v. Vanderburgh County Assessor
02T10-1611-TA-55
Tax. Affirms the denial of Evansville Courier Co. Inc’s petitions for abnormal obsolescence on its 2011, 2013 and 2014 tax returns. Finds the Indiana Board of Tax Review erred by admitting an untimely exhibit. Also finds the board did not err by finding Evansville Courier has not met its burden of establishing a prima facie case or by denying its petitions.  
 

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Charles B. Douglas v. United States of America
17-1104
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, South Bend Division. Judge Jon E. DeGuilio
Civil. Affirms Charles Douglas’ conviction of possession of a firearm by a violent felon and his sentence to 110 months. Finds Douglas was properly classified as an armed career criminal.

Friday’s opinions
Indiana Court of Appeals
Illini State Trucking, Inc. a/k/a IST Holdings, LLC, and RLB International, LLC. v. Navistar, Inc., et al. (mem. dec.)
45A03-1608-PL-1860
Civil plenary. Affirms the trial court’s dismissal of Illini's claims of fraud and fraudulent concealment against Navistar, Inc. (Navistar), Chicago International Trucks, LLC and CIT, Inc., and Rush Truck Centers of Indiana, Inc. Affirms trial court denial of Navistar and Chicago International's motions to dismiss on cross-appeal Illini’s claims of breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty, and breach of contract. The motions were properly denied and the trial court is affirmed in all respects.

The following Indiana Supreme Court opinion was posted after IL deadline Wednesday:
Keyaunna Hurley v. State of Indiana
49S05-1705-CR-346
Criminal. Reverses the suspension of Keyaunna Hurley’s driving privileges. Finds the procedures for administering a chemical breath test required a second test on this record after Hurley’s first test produced an insufficient sample. Also finds unless a subject clearly manifests an unwillingness to submit to a chemical breath test, Title 260, Section 2-4- of the Indiana Administrative Code requires law enforcement to administer a second test if the first returns an “insufficient sample” message.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Latorrea Denise Ware v. State of Indiana
20A03-1610-PC-2297
Post conviction. Affirms the denial of Latorrea Denise Ware’s petition for post-conviction relief. Finds Ware did not receive ineffective assistance of trial counsel because had her counsel moved to suppress evidence seized by officers who had entered her home with a valid warrant but without first clearly announcing their presence, the motion would not have been successful.

Indiana Court of Appeals
McKinley, Inc a/k/a McKinley Associates, Inc. d/b/a Summer Wood Apartment Homes v. Michelle Skyllas
45A05-1612-CT-2853
Civil tort. Reverses the Lake Superior Court’s grant of Michelle Skyllas’ motion to correct error, which sat aside the trial court’s prior grant of summary judgment to McKinley, Inc., a/k/a McKinley Associates, Inc., d/b/a Summer Wood Apartment Homes, and the trial court’s grant of Skyllas’ motion to withdraw and amend admissions. Finds Skyllas did not establish she was entitled to relief from judgment with respect to the grant of summary judgment or the admissions. Remands with instructions to reinstate the judgment in favor of McKinley and against Skyllas.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Indiana Department of Child Services v. J.D., R.B., et al.
71A03-1611-JC-2627
Juvenile CHINS. Reverses the St. Joseph Probate Court’s denial of the Indiana Department of Child Services’ petition alleging M.B. was a child in need of services. Finds DCS’ evidence tending to establish the elements of Indiana Code 31-34-12-4, or the Presumption Statute, was competent and probative and, thus, sufficient to trigger the application of the Presumption Statute and shift the burden of producing evidence to rebut the presumption to M.B.’s parents. Remands with instructions.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Caleb Sullivan v. State of Indiana
52A02-1610-CR-2499
Criminal. Affirms Caleb Sullivan’s convictions for Level 4 felony burglary, Level 6 felony conspiracy to commit dealing in a controlled substance and level 6 felony theft. Finds there is sufficient evidence to support Sullivan’s convictions for burglary and theft. Also finds no double jeopardy violation.