Opinions

Indiana Court of Appeals
401 Public Safety and Lifeline Data Centers, LLC v. David Ray and the Committee to Elect David Ray
49A02-1609-PL-2132
Civil plenary. Affirms the Marion Superior Court’s order dismissing 401 Public Safety and Lifeline Data Centers LLC’s defamation complaint against David Ray and the Committee to Elect David Ray based on the Anti-SLAAP Statute. Finds the speech contained in a flyer constitutes a matter of public interest. Also finds Ray and the committee have established as a matter of law that they acted in good faith, without malice and with a reasonable basis in law and fact. Judge Paul Mathias concurs and dissent in part with separate opinion.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Ryan Martin v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.)
75A04-1609-CR-2098
Criminal. Affirms Ryan Martin’s conviction of Level 5 felony dealing in meth. Finds the trial court did not abuse its discretion in admitting testimony indicating that he was on probation and that the rules of probation provided that he would waive his Fourth Amendment right and submit his place of residence to a reasonable search.

Indiana Supreme Court
Jordan Jacobs v. State of Indiana
49S02-1706-CR-438
Criminal. Reverses Jordan Jacobs’ conviction of Class A misdemeanor possession of a handgun without a license. Finds the search of Jacobs by police was constitutionally impermissible. Remands for further proceedings.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Joseph Richardson v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.)
49A04-1609-CR-2196
Criminal. Affirms Joseph Richardson’s two convictions of felony child molesting, finding sufficient evidence and that the convictions do not violate the continuing crime doctrine.

Indiana Court of Appeals
In the Matter of the Civil Commitment of: M.L. v. Eskenazi Health/Midtown Mental Health CMHC
49A02-1612-MH-2823
Mental health.  Majority affirms in part, reverses in part and remands with instructions the trial court’s grant of Eskenazi’s request for temporary commitment. A special condition prohibiting M.L. from consuming alcohol or drugs not prescribed by a doctor was not sufficiently supported by the evidence. The trial court is instructed to strike the special condition from the order of commitment. Judge Cale Bradford dissents and would affirm the trial court. Denies Eskenazi’s “remarkable” request for appellate attorney fees from the Marion County Public Defender Agency.

Indiana Court of Appeals
Travis L. Woodruff v. State of Indiana
32A01-1612-CR-2751
Criminal. Affirms the sentencing enhancements of 15 years for being a habitual offender and 10 years for using a firearm. Finds the double enhancements were not applied to the same proof of an “uninterrupted transaction.”

Indiana Court of Appeals
Troy Burgh v. State of Indiana
71A03-1611-CR-2669
Criminal. Affirms Troy Burgh’s conviction for battery as a Level 5 felony. Finds as a matter of first impression that when the paved surface of a parking lot is used in a manner that makes the surface readily capable of causing serious bodily injury, a reasonable trier of fact may conclude the battery was “committed with a deadly weapon.”

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.