Top Indiana GOP lawmaker tests positive for COVID-19
Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston has tested positive for COVID-19, his office announced Thursday morning.
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Indiana reinstating surgery limits amid COVID-19 surge
Indiana’s hospitals will have to postpone elective surgeries starting next week under an order Gov. Eric Holcomb said Wednesday was needed to free up hospital capacity amid steep recent increases in serious COVID-19 illnesses.
Jury trials halted in South Bend courts
All jury trials have been halted in St. Joseph County as the COVID-19 virus continues to spread and the positivity rate tops 15%.
Judge declines to stop federal executions because of COVID
A federal judge in Indiana has declined to put a hold on upcoming federal executions, finding that although the executions likely present a COVID-related risk, the inmates who sued to stop the executions have not shown that they personally will be at risk of contracting the virus.
For in-house counsel, sudden changes that came in 2020 will have lasting impact
Remote working is just one of the many ways the public health emergency upended most plans and expectations for 2020. Corporate attorneys are connecting with their offices through the internet and relying on cellphones and videoconferencing to reach colleagues and clients. The type of work that in-house lawyers are doing also has changed.
Veteran, young lawyers win $20M jury verdict in unique case tried amid pandemic
Facing unusual circumstances including a case tried during the pandemic, a team of plaintiff lawyers from Yosha Cook & Tisch secured a multi-million-dollar victory for their personal-injury clients. The total verdict reached $20 million, adjusted by a fault reduction for a net win of $12.2 million.
Women general counsel lead at Lilly, Cook and Roche as life sciences adviser roles evolve
Women general counsel at three of Indiana’s life sciences giants are helping their companies pivot to meet the new challenges of the global pandemic and positioning their legal departments to be an integral part of addressing social inequities. They also are not interested in doing things simply because that is how things have always been done.
Guardians seek changes to assist in final arrangements
A guardianship task force has recommended that the Indiana Legislature amend state statute to give guardians authority over dispositions if necessary. While the concept received general support in a recent meeting of the Probate Code Study Commission, the question remained: how do you balance the authority of a guardian with that of another party, such as a POA?
Hartz: Don’t let intellectual property be an after-pandemic thought
Whether next month, next year, or even beyond, at some point, the COVID-19 pandemic will begin to end. The world may look and feel a bit different, but the intangible intellectual property system will still be here, and we can take steps now to better position you (or your clients) for what comes next.
Allen Superior Court halts jury trials until out of COVID-19 ‘red’ status
The Allen Superior Court is halting jury trials until at least Jan. 11 due to the ongoing surge in COVID-19 infections in the community, the court announced Tuesday.
Dentons expanding reach into Iowa
Dentons is continuing its Project Golden Spike, an initiative to create a national U.S. law firm, by announcing Tuesday a combination with Davis Brown, one of the largest law firms in Iowa.
Judge denies Thursday execution stay as pause urged due to COVID
An Indiana judge has declined to stay a federal execution scheduled for Thursday at the Terre Haute federal prison. Meanwhile, another judge is considering whether the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic means all upcoming executions should indefinitely be put on hold.
Virus talks drag on liability as Congress preps stopgap aid
Lawmakers are giving themselves more time to sort through their end-of-session business on government spending and COVID-19 relief, preparing a one-week stopgap spending bill that would prevent a shutdown this weekend.
BOP defends COVID procedures as inmates challenge upcoming executions
Facing questions about COVID-19 protocols from an Indiana judge, the federal government is defending its plan to move forward with scheduled executions this month and next despite the continued surge of reported virus cases.
Indiana health care workers first up for COVID-19 vaccine
As Indiana announces its preparations to begin coronavirus vaccinations for some 400,000 health care workers by the end of the month, the inoculation timeline for the state’s nursing home residents is still to be determined.
A bleak outlook for millions facing cutoff of US jobless aid
Unemployment has forced aching decisions on millions of Americans and their families in the face of a rampaging viral pandemic that has closed shops and restaurants, paralyzed travel and left millions jobless for months. Now, their predicaments stand to grow bleaker yet if Congress fails to extend two unemployment programs that are set to expire the day after Christmas.
Trial in West Virginia federal opioid lawsuit postponed indefinitely
A federal judge in West Virginia has indefinitely postponed a trial date in a lawsuit filed by the city of Huntington and Cabell County over the opioid crisis.
Among first acts, Biden to call for 100 days of mask-wearing
Joe Biden said Thursday that he will ask Americans to commit to 100 days of wearing masks as one of his first acts as president, stopping just short of the nationwide mandate he’s pushed before to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Indiana tops 6,000 coronavirus-related deaths since March
Indiana has topped 6,000 confirmed or suspected COVID-19 deaths with the state also recording a new high for average daily coronavirus fatalities amid the ongoing infection surge.
Justices order review of California virus rules for churches
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a lower federal court to reexamine California restrictions on indoor religious services in areas hard hit by the coronavirus in light of the justices’ recent ruling in favor of churches and synagogues in New York.