Report: Law changes could help combat Indiana opioid crisis
Indiana University experts who assessed the state's opioid epidemic have made recommendations for how Indiana can better address the crisis.
Opioids
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Patients, doctors concerned about new Indiana opioid limits
Some patients and doctors in Indiana are worried that increased restrictions imposed in response to the national opioid epidemic may reduce access to necessary medication.
Drug takeback events aim to reduce abuse of prescription medications
At the Take Back the Circle medication collection event Friday on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis, success could be measured in pounds. Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill joined the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and Covanta Indianapolis to collect unused, unwanted or expired medications from passersby.
Divided COA finds evidence of prior bad acts harmless
A majority of the Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld a Howard County man’s drug convictions and sentence, finding any error in the admission of evidence of prior bad acts was harmless. The dissent, however, provided a lengthy history of state and federal caselaw to highlight why she believed the error was prejudicial.
Chief Justice Rush to join LSC discussion of opioid crisis
Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush will be part of a panel discussion on the opioid crisis at the Legal Service Corporation’s annual Forum on Increasing Access to Justice in Washington, D.C. Rush and Jay Chaudhary, managing attorney of Indiana Legal Services, will be among the participants on the Access to Justice and the Opioid Epidemic panel.
7th Circuit remands drug conviction for deficient counsel hearing
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana must hold a hearing on a convicted drug offender’s motion for collateral relief after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals determined the offender presented evidence to justify a hearing on deficient counsel performance.
COA upholds man’s convictions for molesting teenage relative
A northern Indiana man convicted of molesting a teenage relative has lost his appeal of his two felony convictions after the Indiana Court of Appeals found neither the trial court nor the man’s trial counsel erred.
Hill announces annual Prescription Drug Abuse Symposium
The office of Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill has announced the ninth annual Prescription Drug Abuse Symposium for later this year. The symposium aims to provide an atmosphere for frank, candid discussion about substance abuse and addiction.
AG’s office contracts with national firm to consider opioid litigation
As numerous government agencies continue to fight the state’s growing opioid crisis, the Indiana Attorney General’s Office has contracted with a national law firm to help determine whether to pursue legal action against opioid manufacturers.
Indiana distributing overdose antidote kits to 34 counties
The Indiana State Department of Health says 95 first responder agencies in 34 rural counties will receive opioid overdose antidote kits. The agency announced Wednesday it’s awarding $127,000 in funding to provide nearly 3,400 naloxone kits and training to the first responders.
Rush: Courts ready for hope-filled future
It’s no secret the ongoing opioid epidemic has ravaged nearly every corner of the Hoosier state, sending thousands to court on drug charges, ballooning the number of children in need of services and more. But even as the drug crisis strains Indiana’s judicial resources, Chief Justice Loretta Rush said new court programs and technology have positioned the judiciary to meet the crisis head-on and lead the state into a “hope-filled future.”
Ex-DCS chief Bonaventura joins AG’s staff as special counsel
Former Indiana Department of Child Services Director Mary Beth Bonaventura will join the Indiana Attorney General’s Office as special counsel Monday, a move that comes less than a month after she resigned from her DCS post with a scathing resignation letter to Gov. Eric Holcomb.
Rush discusses ‘hope-filled future’ during State of the Judiciary
A complete turnover in the Supreme Court bench, an expansion of judicial training options and a continued commitment to court technology has poised the Indiana judiciary in a state of hope for the future, Chief Justice Loretta Rush said today in her State of the Judiciary address.
Nearly a dozen Indiana communities sue opioid industry in new flurry of suits
Nearly a dozen Indiana cities and counties have filed lawsuits in recent days against opioid makers and distributors, claiming the companies have flooded their communities with the addictive painkillers and engaged in deceptive marketing campaigns that helped lead to a growing crisis.
Problems persist as director quits DCS
The departure of Mary Beth Bonaventura as director of the Indiana Department of Child Services surprised several family law attorneys and social service providers. Uniformly, they agreed the former Lake County juvenile judge was a strong advocate for children and brought valuable experience to her tenure. Still, the department has struggled against internal and external challenges.
2018 State of the Judiciary set for next week
Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush will discuss the judiciary’s continued efforts toward expanding court technology, addressing the opioid crisis and other related topics during her 2018 State of the Judiciary address next week.
Indiana lawmakers return for possibly contentious session
Legislators returned to the Indiana Statehouse on Wednesday to begin this year’s General Assembly session, which will be the first in recent memory in which the Republican supermajorities do not have an overarching objective they hope to achieve.
Top 10 legal stories of 2017 focus on law schools, court changes
The closing of 4-year-old Indiana Tech Law School in Fort Wayne, and the revelation that 138-year-old Valparaiso University Law School faced an uncertain future, made law school troubles the top legal news story of 2017, as determined by the staff of Indiana Lawyer. Changes on the federal and state bench also were among the year’s top stories.
COA: Traffic stop that led to arrest not a constitutional violation
Though an Indiana trial court erred in admitting a defendant’s statements about prior drug activity, the Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld the defendant’s current dealing conviction after finding the officers who arrested him did not violate his Fourth Amendment rights.
Lake, Monroe counties, Bloomington join opioid lawsuit
Officials of two Indiana counties and one city are joining a lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies and distributors for their alleged role in fueling the opioid abuse crisis.