Opinions

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
Debbie A. Stage v. Carolyn W. Colvin, Acting Commissioner of Social Security
15-1837
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Hammond Division. Judge Joseph Van Bokklelen.
Civil. Vacates the denial of Stage’s application for supplemental security income, disability insurance benefits and disabled widow’s benefits. Finds the medical evidence does not support the administrative law judge’s decision that Stage could stand or walk for six hours a day; stoop, crouch, occasionally climb ramps or stairs; and lift or carry up to 20 pounds. Remands for further consideration.

Indiana Court of Appeals Hervin S. Talley v. State of Indiana 45A05-1507-PC-1005 Post Conviction. Affirms denial of Talley’s petition for post-conviction relief. Finds Talley’s attorney’s decision to not file a motion to bifurcate the possession of a handgun charge from resisting law enforcement charges was correct because the motion would have been denied since the […]

7th Circuit Court of Appeals Erik Solano v. United States of America 15-1290 U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, South Bend Division. Judge Jon E. DeGuilio. Civil. Affirms dismissal of Solano’s Section 2255 motion to vacate his sentence. The Sixth Amendment does not require an attorney to accede to a defendant’s request […]

Indiana Court of Appeals
State of Indiana v. Chad T. Mooney, Brittany McCool
82A04-1505-CR-266
Criminal. Affirms denial of the state’s motions for relief from judgment regarding the trial court’s orders permitting Mooney and McCool’s driving privileges to be reinstated without proof of future financial responsibility. The state has not established prima facie error in the trial court’s denial of its motions for relief from judgment. 

Indiana Court of Appeals
Brenda Hall v. Dallman Contractors, LLC, Shook LLC, and AT&T Services, Inc.
49A02-1502-CT-67
Civil tort. Affirms summary judgment in favor of AT&T Services Inc. on Hall’s negligence action against the company. It is barred by the exclusive remedies provision of the Worker’s Compensation Act because Hall has already received a workers’ compensation settlement from Ameritech, her employer, which, like AT&T Services Inc., is a subsidiary of AT&T Inc.

Indiana Court of Appeals
State of Indiana and Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles v. Nicholas Hargrave
82A01-1504-CR-137
Criminal. Reverses denial of state’s motion to correct error after the trial court granted Hargrave’s petition asking it to order the BMV to reinstate his driving privileges without requiring him to provide proof of SR22 insurance. The BMV properly interpreted federal regulations adopted by Indiana statutes to mean that a person who holds a CDL at the time he commits a traffic violation may not participate in a diversion program. And because Hargrave’s driving privileges were suspended under I.C. 9-30-6-9, he is required to file proof of financial responsibility for three years following the termination of his suspension under I.C. 9-30-6-12.

The following Indiana Tax Court opinion was posted after IL deadline Friday:
DeKalb County Assessor v. Paul L. and Joan E. Chavez
49T10-1502-TA-6
Tax. Affirms the final determination by the Indiana Board of Tax Review to reclassify 2.72 acres of the Chavezes’ land from excess residential to agricultural for the 2013 tax year. The guidelines provide several factors to consider when determining whether land is woodland and is therefore devoted to an agricultural use under Indiana Code § 6-1.1-4-13(a). The Indiana Board did not act contrary to law when it analyzed these very factors to determine that the Chavezes’ 2.72 acres were devoted to an agricultural use.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Kimberly Y. Morgan v. State of Indiana
34A05-1509-CR-1323
Criminal. Affirms in part and reverses in part restitution order. The trial court properly concluded Morgan must pay restitution to Selective Insurance, but to the extent the order provides for the amount to the Visitors Commission in excess of its $250 deductible is an abuse of discretion. Remands with instructions for the court to enter a restitution order for the payment of $11,455.48 to Selective Insurance and $250 to the commission.

7th Circuit Court of Appeals
United States of America v. Terry Joe Smith
14-3744, 14-3721
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, Terre Haute Division. Judge William Lawrence.
Criminal. Affirms two convictions of excessive force against two individuals who were in police custody. Vacates 14-month sentence followed by two years of supervised release after finding the sentence to be light in comparison to similar cases. The judge was also required to give the entire sentence orally. Remands for full resentencing.

Indiana Court of Appeals
In Re the Marriage of: Courtney Carr v. Beth E. Carr
03A01-1505-DR-436
Domestic relation. Affirms in part and reverses in part dissolution order. The survivor benefit plan feature of Courtney Carr’s military pension should have been counted as a marital asset. Remands with instructions to count the survivor benefit plan as a marital asset and either make findings justifying a 65/35 split in favor of wife or reallocate the marital assets in accordance with the 60/40 split previously determined by the trial court.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Jerry E. Johnson v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.)
27A02-1507-CR-793
Criminal. Affirms conviction of Class D felony theft.  

Indiana Supreme Court
Shane Keller v. State of Indiana
88S04-1506-CR-354
Criminal. Reverses the two convictions of Class B felony burglary for breaking and entering into a farmhouse. Remands for entry of two replacement convictions for burglary as Class C felonies and for resentencing accordingly. Finds the jury instructions which included language from a Court of Appeals decision erroneously expanded the statutory definition of “dwelling.” Justice Massa dissents, joined by Chief Justice Rush.
 

The following Indiana Supreme Court opinion was posted after IL deadline Thursday:
Antonio Garcia v. State of Indiana
49S05-1505-CR-335
Criminal. Affirms denial of Garcia’s motion to suppress the admission of a pill container found during a quick pat-down search following a lawful arrest. Opening the pill container, which had one narcotic pill for which Garcia did not have a valid prescription, during the course of the pat-down search incident to his arrest for driving without a valid driver’s license was a reasonable search under Article 1, Section 11 of the Indiana Constitution.

Indiana Supreme Court
Kastin E. Slaybaugh v. State of Indiana
79S02-1601-CR-28
Criminal. Grants transfer to expressly adopt and incorporate by reference the Court of Appeals opinion in which it affirmed the denial of Slaybaugh’s motion for a mistrial. He alleged juror misconduct because a juror who had denied knowing the victim or her family was a “Facebook” friend with a relative of the victim. The juror testified she was a Realtor and had many “Facebook” friends for networking purposes and did not know the victim or her family, which the trial court accepted she was being truthful.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Indiana Professional Licensing Agency and Indiana State Board of Dentistry v. Irfan A. Atcha, D.D.S.
49A02-1504-MI-197
Miscellaneous. Affirms in part and reverses in part the trial court’s finding that three dental advertising regulations are unconstitutional. The state properly restricted Dr. Atcha’s false and misleading claims implying he had a particular dental specialty and could provide better materials or superior service than other dentists. But the state may not compel a dentist to list on his advertisements every dentist in his practice. Remands for the board to reassess the penalty in light of this decision.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Cary R. Coleman v. State of Indiana
47A01-1506-IF-659
Infraction. Reverses speeding infraction, finding the trial court erred in concluding that the altered speed limit established by Lawrence County Ordinance 5-2-1 was effective in the absence of signage giving motorists notice of the altered speed limit.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Debra R. Sorrells v. Karen Reid-Renner, M.D.
53A01-1506-CT-534
Civil tort. Reverses summary judgment in favor of Dr. Reid-Renner on Sorrell’s medical malpractice complaint. Finds Sorrells met her burden to survive summary judgment on the issue of causation as a doctor’s expert testimony is sufficient to demonstrate a genuine issue of material fact.

Indiana Court of Appeals
David R. Neal v. Mark Sevier and the Indiana Department of Correction (mem. dec.)
52A02-1410-SC-735
Small claims. Affirms judgment in favor of Department of Correction.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Ashlee A. Trammel v. Jeffery S. Trammel (mem. dec.)
92A04-1507-DR-933
Domestic relation. Affirms denial of petition for mother to relocate children to North Carolina and award of parenting time to her according to the Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines. Reverses order that mother pay father $1,500 in attorney fees. Chief Judge Vaidik concurs in part and dissents in part with separate opinion.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Michael G. Hays v. Shanna Hays
62A04-1501-DR-33
Domestic relation. Reverses a court order that declared a Wyoming court order on father’s child support arrearage null and void. Vacates a trial court order precluding either party from taking the dependent exemption on their income taxes and remands for proceedings.