In a year unlike any other, marked by an unrelenting pandemic and social unrest, the federal judiciary witnessed a dramatic surge in civil case filings while criminal matters sharply declined. The national trend, however, was not the experience of Indiana’s federal courts.
A California man accused of making online threats to bomb two suburban Indianapolis high schools in addition to a slew of other crimes was sentenced Friday by a federal judge to 75 years in prison.
A woman who claimed “stress and confusion” as injuries after she was contacted by a debt collector without her permission could not convince the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that the company had violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
Despite being forced into a virtual format due to coronavirus concerns, the Indiana Southern District Court’s annual Black History Month event was as strong as ever with a powerful presentation from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law dean Karen Bravo.
A coalition of former federal judges, including two from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, is urging the U.S. Senate to confirm Judge Merrick Garland as the U.S. Attorney General, describing him as having a “strong moral compass and abiding integrity.”
An effort by the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis to overturn the city’s designation of the Drake apartment building as a historic property has been transferred to federal court — even as the organization continues working with city officials on a plan to salvage the nearby building.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana is closing all federal courthouses Feb. 16 because of the winter storm dumping heavy snow throughout much of Indiana. Likewise, many state courts also closed, including Marion Superior and Circuit Courts.
A federal inmate who was transferred from an Indiana prison to a facility in Florida will continue his habeas proceedings in Indiana federal court after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a writ of mandamus in the inmate’s favor.
Two Hoosiers convicted for their roles in an international drug trafficking organization failed to convince the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that their convictions and sentences were inappropriate.
The Southern Indiana District Court has announced plans to resume in-person jury trials in April following a months-long hiatus due to the pandemic. Jury trials in Southern District courts are expected to resume April 5, and clerk offices in all divisions will reopen to the public next week.
The Carmel-based maker of Splenda sweetener is suing the convenience store chain Speedway LLC for trademark infringement, alleging the retailer offers its customers a knockoff sweetener in yellow packets that look too much like Splenda’s packaging.
The Justice Department will ask U.S. attorneys who were appointed by former President Donald Trump to resign from their posts, as the Biden administration moves to transition to its own nominees, a senior Justice Department official said Monday.
As the Trump administration was nearing the end of an unprecedented string of executions in Terre Haute, 70% of death row inmates were sick with COVID-19. Guards were ill. Traveling prison staff on the execution team had the virus. So did media witnesses, who may have unknowingly infected others when they returned home because they were never told about the spreading cases.
A bill in the Legislature could reignite Indiana’s battle over birth certificates and possibly upend federal court rulings that allow married lesbian couples to have both their names listed as their children’s parents. Some attorneys, however, see numerous unintended consequences if the bill passes.
Rules governing divisional jurisdiction vary in the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana, as illustrated by some recent rulings.
Karen Bravo, the first person of color to serve as dean of Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, will be the keynote speaker at the Indiana Southern District Court’s annual Black History Month event next month.
The Indiana Supreme Court has cleared a well-known attorney and former federal prosecutor of misconduct charges stemming from a nearly decade-old matter. The court found Thursday “that the allegations of misconduct were not proven” in a one-page judgment in favor of Barnes & Thornburg partner Larry Mackey.
An African American family who claims to have been subjected to race-based harassment, taunts and threats from a neighbor in their Indianapolis subdivision can move forward with their lawsuit after a federal judge denied the homeowners association’s request to toss the case.
In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, a group of drivers allege the vendors hired to operate the RiverLink toll system for the three bridges between Louisville, Kentucky, and southern Indiana fraudulently tacked on administrative fees and penalties.
A nationwide class action against an Indiana insurer that alleged more than 3,600 policyholders were overcharged for premiums has been resolved through a $27 million settlement, plaintiffs’ attorneys said Friday. The settlement provides that each class member will receive at least $500, but most will receive $1,000 or more.