What’s next: Impeachment hearings enter crucial stretch
The House impeachment hearings are entering a crucial second week as Democrats are set to hear from eight additional witnesses about President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine.
Senate Judiciary Committee
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Barnes’ Leichty confirmed to Indiana’s Northern District bench
Damon Leichty has been confirmed to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, filling the last vacant seat on the federal bench in the Hoosier state.
Brady confirmed to Northern Indiana District Court
Fort Wayne attorney Holly Brady has been confirmed as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, becoming the first judge to join that jurisdiction since May 2010.
Indiana abortion petition making eighth SCOTUS appearance, might be inspiring ‘screed’
Indiana’s petition for a review of its abortion law has been relisted for an eighth conference at the U.S. Supreme Court, raising suspicions that the case will not be accepted but could bring a fiery dissent.
Bill sought by child sex abuse survivors rerouted for study
Individuals who were sexually abused as children will have to keep waiting for justice, now that a bill that could potentially give them more time to sue their abusers has been routed for further study.
Senate Judiciary Democrats hold over federal judicial nominees
In holding over nearly 50 judicial nominees Tuesday, including two renominees for the Northern Indiana District Court, Democrats on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee called for a return to the traditions of honoring blue slips and relying on the American Bar Association’s evaluations.
Brady, Leichty renominated to Northern Indiana District Court
The two nominees for the Northern Indiana District Court are among 51 judicial candidates the White House has renominated for the federal bench.
Rallies at Statehouse show divide over Roe still wide after 46 years
On the 46th anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion, supporters and opponents scheduled rallies at the Indiana Statehouse, underscoring the deep divide over the ruling that remains more than four decades later. Advocates of reproductive rights gathered on the fourth floor of the Statehouse Tuesday to begin their push for Senate Bill 589, while Indiana Right to Life had a rally scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
Judges, lawyers bemoan political nature of Kavanaugh hearings
Ask any constitutional scholar whether the process of confirming Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court played out as was constitutionally intended, and the answer will likely be “no.” Federal judges and practicing lawyers agree: regardless of your politics, the animosity that exploded in the Senate over the last month was not what the Framers had in mind.
High drama in Senate for pivotal Kavanaugh-Ford showdown
The Senate Judiciary Committee braced for a history-making clash as Brett Kavanaugh and one of his accusers awaited their chance to testify Thursday about her claim that the Supreme Court nominee sexually attacked her when both were teenagers.
New sexual-misconduct accusation rocks Kavanaugh nomination
A second allegation of sexual misconduct has emerged against Judge Brett Kavanaugh, a development that has further imperiled his nomination to the Supreme Court, forced the White House and Senate Republicans onto the defensive and fueled calls from Democrats to postpone further action on his confirmation.
Wisconsin nominee confirmed to 7th Circuit seat after party-line vote
With a slim vote along party lines, the U.S. Senate confirmed Michael Brennan to the Wisconsin seat on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday, filling the longest vacancy in the federal judiciary.
Messer, Rokita slam Donnelly over other senators’ religion comments
Two Republican congressmen seeking to unseat Sen. Joe Donnelly have criticized his response to fellow Democratic senators’ questioning of an Indiana judicial nominee that focused on her Catholic faith.
GOP chairman praises Gorsuch pick as confirmation opens
The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee praised President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court pick on Monday for an “unfailing commitment” to the principle of separation of powers, as Judge Neil Gorsuch's confirmation hearing got underway.
Senate committee extends for $1 pro bono filing fee
A bill extending the $1 additional civil filing fee to support pro bono programs sailed through a Senate committee Wednesday despite a discussion about the possibility of allowing Marion County small claims courts to keep the filing fees they collect for themselves.
Dozens of judge nominees wait on Senate as time dwindles
Senate confirmation of President Barack Obama's nominees slowed to a halt this election year, a common political occurrence for the final months of divided government with a Democratic president and a Republican-controlled Senate. But more than 90 vacancies in the federal judiciary are taking a toll on judges, the courts and Americans seeking recourse.
Donnelly, Coats pleased nomination hearing set for Ong
Indiana Senators Joe Donnelly and Dan Coats are applauding the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s decision to consider the nomination of Hoosier Winfield D. Ong for the federal bench.
Bill proposes increasing med-mal cap by $400,000
The maximum award for medical malpractice would increase by $400,000 under legislation proposed after a study committee last year examined Indiana’s caps. Caps on damages were last raised 17 years ago and have been increased just twice in 40 years.
Bill proposes modest Marion County small claims reforms
Modest reforms to the derided Marion County township small claims courts are proposed in a bill scheduled to get a committee hearing Wednesday.
Lifeline Law expansion clears Senate committee
Indiana’s Lifeline Law that provides immunity for minors who report dangerous underage intoxication would expand to cover reporting of any medical crisis, sexual assault or crime if a bill that cleared a Senate committee Wednesday is enacted.