Prosecutor opposes Portage mayor’s bid to dismiss charges
A federal prosecutor says an indicted northwest Indiana mayor hasn’t proven his corruption charges should be dismissed because of how case-related emails were handled.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
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Indiana’s Brady, Hanlon tapped for federal judgeships
Two Valparaiso Law School graduates are included in the latest round of judicial nominations released Tuesday by the White House. Holly Brady of Fort Wayne and J.P. Hanlon of Indianapolis have been nominated for the federal bench in the northern and southern Indiana district courts, respectively.
Indiana woman wins $35 million verdict in pelvic mesh lawsuit
A northern Indiana jury returned a $35 million verdict March 8 for a woman injured by a transvaginal mesh implant in a trial that is believed to the seventh mesh lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary Ethicon, Inc.
Budget boost increases compensation max for federal defenders
A federal funding boost that created increased hourly rates for federal public defenders has also caused an increase in compensation maximums for non-capital federal defenders.
Southern Indiana District honors pro bono attorneys
As an environmental attorney, Tom Barnard had not represented a prison inmate and had never had a case involving the Eighth Amendment but when the Southern Indiana District Court called, recruiting pro bono counsel to help with a settlement hearing, he volunteered.
Racial discrimination claim will proceed against Purdue coach
The Indiana Northern District Court has allowed a racial discrimination claim to continue against a Purdue University baseball coach after finding one of his player’s adequately alleged the coach treated him differently because of his Mexican heritage.
Funding boost enables raises for federal defenders, jurors
A nearly $200 million increase in the Fiscal Year 2018 budget is enabling the federal judiciary to increase compensation for jurors and indigent defense attorneys while also performing construction projects at three federal courthouses.
Despite ‘role of Grinch,’ 7th Circuit won’t stop Christmas show
An Elkhart high school’s traditional “Christmas Spectacular” production that was canceled by a northern Indiana federal court because of its overt religiosity, then passed muster when Christian elements no longer took a leading role in a revival, won the reluctant blessing of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Workload keeps increasing in Southern Indiana District Court
While overall federal district courts recorded a decline in combined filings for civil cases and criminal defendants in 2017, the Southern Indiana District bucked the trend and posted a 30 percent increase.
7th Circuit upholds child porn convictions
A man convicted on multiple child pornography charges has lost his appeal before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals after the appellate panel found no error warranting reversal of his convictions.
7th Circuit upholds resentencing in mortgage fraud scheme
A northern Indiana couple convicted in a mortgage fraud scheme has lost its second appeal of the spouses’ sentences, with the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in its second opinion in the case that the district court did not err in calculating loss or imposing time served.
South Bend settles excessive force lawsuit for $15K
The city of South Bend agreed to pay a man $15,000 to end a federal lawsuit alleging that a police officer used excessive force while arresting him during a 2014 traffic stop.
7th Circuit: District courts can order federal, state sentences to run concurrently
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has vacated an Indiana man’s enhanced sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm after finding the district court erred in not recognizing its discretion to require the man’s federal sentence to run concurrent to his unrelated state court sentence.
Timeliness hurdle blocks attempt to intervene in consent decree
Although a federal judge sympathized the with East Chicago residents who have been waiting years for their neighborhoods to be decontaminated, he ultimately held that their quest to intervene in a consent decree was untimely.
Indiana town paying $150K to settle sex harassment claim
The northwestern Indiana town of St. John has agreed to pay a former police dispatcher $150,000 to settle her sexual harassment claim against a former police official and town councilman.
Suit from truck driver shot by Merrillville police proceeds
The town of Merrillville and one of its police officers lost their bid for summary judgment on a truck driver’s excessive force claim after a district court judge determined questions of fact exist as to whether the officer was justified in shooting the driver during an altercation.
Excessive force case will proceed against officer who shot unarmed robbery suspect
An excessive force claim against a Fort Wayne police officer who shot an unarmed robber will continue after the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana denied the officer’s motion for summary judgment.
IRS: 26 sentenced in Indiana last year on federal tax violations
A total of 26 people were sentenced for criminal federal tax violations in Indiana in 2017, according to the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division. Agents said $2.5 billion in fraud was identified and boasted a 91.5 percent conviction rate.
Ex-Merrillville councilman pleads guilty to bribery
A former northwest Indiana town councilman has pleaded guilty to bribery for his role in an influence-buying scheme for towing contracts. The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported Thomas Goralczyk, 51, entered the plea Wednesday in federal court.
Ex-Lake County sheriff appealing federal conviction
A former Lake County sheriff is appealing his conviction in a public corruption case.