Indiana’s death toll from COVID-19 surpasses 2,800
The Indiana State Department of Health on Wednesday reported 740 new COVID-19 cases, the ninth time in the past 10 days that new cases have exceeded 600.
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Teachers union backs strike if schools can’t reopen safely
Indiana’s second-largest teacher organization announced Tuesday that its members may resort to striking to ensure a safe return to school as the state continues to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
Web Exclusive: First impressions of the first COVID-era jury trial
“I knew that I was the first trial and that if I screwed up, nobody else would get to go, so I wanted these people to be comfortable,” Lake Superior Judge Bruce Parent said. Parent and others shared their perspectives on the first Indiana jury trial permitted after court proceedings were suspended due to the pandemic.
Nimble leader: New Indy office managing partner steers Dentons Bingham Greenebaum
It is easy to understand why Meg Christensen’s favorite word these days is “nimble.” The 38-year-old attorney became the managing partner of Dentons Bingham Greenebaum’s Indianapolis office during unprecedented challenges and about six months after the merger with global giant Dentons launched a new law firm business model.
Studies show initial success in state pretrial release assessments
With the implementation of Criminal Rule 26 in January, courts across Indiana have been required to begin using evidence-based practices to make pretrial release decisions. But do those practices actually improve the criminal justice system?
Craig and Rulon: Technology keeps wheels of justice turning through COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged and changed how lawyers do business. Although law firms were considered essential businesses by Indiana’s stay-at-home orders, most lawyers responsibly transitioned their practices to remote working arrangements. This article focuses on how litigators used — and continue to use — technology to meet client needs and court deadlines.
IndyBar: The Parents are Not Alright — Adding E-Learning to a Full Plate
2020. Who would have thought that one year could change so many things? Things we thought were certain, nonnegotiable, and established norms as lawyers were cast aside along with vacation plans, professional sports and pants with buttons. This fall will bring even more uncertainty into our lives as we send our children back to school.
Indiana co-authors amicus brief in COVID-19 abortion drug case
The Indiana Attorney General’s Office co-authored an amicus brief in support of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration after a federal district court lifted certain medication-assisted abortion drug regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Progress slow on virus relief bill as negotiations continue
Negotiators on a huge coronavirus relief bill reported slight progress after talks resumed Monday afternoon in the Capitol, with issues like food for the poor and aid to schools struggling to reopen safely assuming a higher profile in the talks.
National bankruptcy filings fall despite COVID-19 impact
Personal and business bankruptcy filings posted a decline in the year ending June 30, despite a sharp rise in national unemployment stemming from the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Suit: Election Day deadline to receive mailed ballots disenfranchises voters
Indiana law that says mail-in ballots must be received by noon on Election Day will disenfranchise voters and should be blocked, a federal lawsuit filed Thursday says.
Technical difficulties, high anxiety prevail during pandemic-era bar exam
Although the testing software was supposed to allow individuals to take the July 2020 Indiana Bar Exam while remaining safely in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, the technology malfunctioned so badly that the Indiana Supreme Court will be forced to administer the test by relying on email and the applicants’ integrity.
Rent’s due, again: Monthly anxieties deepen as aid falls off
Another month passes. The coronavirus pandemic marches on. And Americans struggling amid the economic fallout once again have to worry as their next rent checks come due Aug. 1.
Indiana students begin in-person returns to schools
For many Indiana students who returned to classrooms this week for the first time since the coronavirus outbreak forced schools to transition to remote learning last March, the school day offered a mixed bag of emotions, anxiety and plenty of new health-related protocols.
Holcomb urges virus safety steps, not tougher rules; will extend eviction moratorium
Indiana will keep its current coronavirus restrictions in place for at least most of August, with Gov. Eric Holcomb choosing Wednesday to encourage compliance with safety measures amid continued concerns about recent growth in the state’s COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Holcomb also said he would briefly extend a moratorium on evictions that was scheduled to expire this week.
Trump floats election ‘delay’ amid claims of voting fraud
President Donald Trump is for the first time floating a “delay” to the Nov. 3 presidential election, as he makes unsubstantiated allegations that increased mail-in voting will result in fraud.
US economy shrank at record-breaking 33% rate last quarter
The U.S. economy shrank at a dizzying 32.9% annual rate in the April-June quarter — by far the worst quarterly plunge ever — when the viral outbreak shut down businesses, throwing tens of millions out of work and sending unemployment surging to 14.7%, the government said Thursday.
Task force issues recommendations for handling increase in eviction cases
In anticipation of state courts being overwhelmed with landlord-tenant cases once the pandemic moratorium on evictions is lifted, a task force assembled by the Indiana Supreme Court released recommendations Wednesday that encourage payment plans and alternatives to forcibly removing residents from their homes.
Southern District again suspends jury trials due to COVID-19
Jury trials in all divisions of the Southern District of Indiana have once again been suspended, Chief Judge Jane E. Magnus-Stinson announced Wednesday. The decision stems from the recent rise in COVID-19 cases across the state and within the district following a brief resumption of jury trials.
Faulty bar exam software tossed in favor of emails, open books
The Indiana Supreme Court issued an order Wednesday again revamping the July 2020 bar exam, opting to send test questions by email and allowing applicants to refer to notes and course materials during the test. The test is still scheduled to be administered remotely Tuesday under the new format.