Wrongful death suit against Fort Wayne police proceeds
The estate of a man who died from a cocaine overdose while chained to a desk in police custody may proceed with a wrongful death suit against the city of Fort Wayne, a federal court ruled.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
Articles
FedEx drivers get tentative $13.3M ERISA settlement
A proposed workplace-benefits settlement of more than $13.3 million for Federal Express drivers who were wrongly classified as contractors rather than employees has been approved by an Indiana federal judge overseeing a nationwide docket of employment suits against the delivery service.
Indiana consumer bankruptcies fall faster than U.S. average
Personal bankruptcy filings due to consumer debt tumbled in Indiana last year at a much faster pace than an overall national decline, according to federal bankruptcy court data released Monday. Hoosiers filed a combined 7.4 percent fewer petitions for Chapter 7, Chapter 11 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy in 2017.
Former Elkhart resident accused of supporting ISIS
A former Elkhart resident has been charged in federal court with providing and conspiring to provide material support to foreign terror organization the Islamic State or Iraq and al-Sham.
Crown Point man gets 15-year prison term in terror-related case
A Crown Point man who pleaded guilty to terror-related charges has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen on Monday also sentenced Marlonn Hicks of Crown Point to three years of supervised release, to be served after his prison term.
7th Circuit vacates denial of benefits to man with shooting pain and numbness
Finding an administrative law judge did not evaluate the credibility of a claimant and instead relied on the testimony of a physician who had not even examined the patient, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed and remanded the denial of Social Security benefits to an Indiana man.
7th Circuit says vacated Fourth Amendment case was ‘close call’
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated and remanded a motion to suppress two firearms from a vehicle search after it determined the search was unwarranted due to a lack of reasonable suspicion after an anonymous tip was made.
7th Circuit: Disability benefit arguments lack merit
Medical evidence did not support the testimony of a deceased man about the degree of limitations he experienced, the 7th Circuit affirmed when reviewing his denied disability benefits case. The court found arguments in the case lacked merit.
7th Circuit slaps ALJ, remands engineer’s disability case after stroke
A district court’s decision affirming a Social Security administrative law judge’s ruling on the onset date of an engineer’s disability was vacated Wednesday by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, which found medical and other evidence strongly suggests an earlier disability date.
Federal courts propose broad evidence, civil, bankruptcy rule changes
Proposed federal court rule changes released for public comment Wednesday would impose new duties on prosecutors who seek to introduce evidence of a criminal defendant’s prior crimes and on lawyers involved in depositions, among other changes.
Northern District appoints AUSA as new magistrate judge
A new magistrate judge has been selected in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana to succeed retiring Magistrate Judge Paul R. Cherry.
Northern District imposes new fee for copies of records outside of e-case management system
A new fee included on the Indiana Northern District Court’s Miscellaneous Fee Schedule will charge $31 per record for the reproduction and transmission of copies of electronic court records not stored in the court’s electronic case management system.
Settlement reached in Indiana Title VII case that started judicial shift
Kimberly Hively, the adjunct math professor whose employment discrimination complaint changed Title VII law in the 7th Circuit, has settled with her former employer, Ivy Tech Community College. But the issue of whether the Civil Rights Act provision extends to sexual orientation continues to roil in other judicial districts and may yet be examined by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Supplier that ‘ghosted’ hotel ordered to pay nearly $300K
A lighting supplier that failed to deliver almost $100,000 worth of fixtures for a South Bend hotel renovation — then failed to respond to a resulting breach of contract lawsuit — has been ordered to pay treble damages and fees approaching $300,000.
Memorial honoring Lozano scheduled for next month
The Indiana Northern District Court will honor the late Senior Judge Rudy Lozano at a memorial service in his honor next month. The service will begin at 2 p.m. Sept. 24 in Lozano's courtroom in the Hammond Federal Courthouse, 5400 Federal Plaza.
Munster doctor pleads guilty in overprescribing case
A Munster Indiana doctor accused of overprescribing painkillers has pleaded guilty to a federal drug charge. Dr. Jay K. Joshi pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Hammond to distribution of a controlled substance.
Denial of damages in cellphone vendor breach affirmed
An Indiana company that breached a contract to pay referral fees to a chain of Pennsylvania cellphone stores that signed up Verizon customers years ago owes nothing to the party that proved the breach, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Thursday.
Woman whose husband fought for IS charged with lying
An Elkhart woman who says she was held in a Kurdish detention camp with her four children after her husband died fighting for the Islamic State group has appeared in federal court to face a charge of lying to the FBI.
Barnes & Thornburg lawyers filling Indiana federal judiciary
When the White House nominated Hoosier Damon Leichty to a federal district judgeship, it was the second time the Trump Administration has chosen an attorney working at Barnes & Thornburg LLP in Indiana to fill a judicial vacancy.
Barnes partner tapped to fill last Indiana vacancy in federal judiciary
Damon R. Leichty, partner in the South Bend office of Barnes & Thornburg LLP, has been nominated to serve as a judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, potentially filling the last empty seat in the federal judiciary in Indiana. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Leichty will fill the vacancy created when Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr., took senior status in January 2016.