Judge rules for Indianapolis police in black teen’s killing
A federal judge has ruled in favor of Indianapolis police in a lawsuit that accused officers of excessive force in a black teenager’s fatal shooting following a suspected armed carjacking.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
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Federal judge rules in Indy financial adviser’s favor in exit from firm
A recent ruling by a federal judge in Indianapolis could make it easier for financial advisers who switch firms to tell clients about the move without fear of legal consequences.
7th Circuit says lawyer intentionally altered photos, threatens sanction
An order to show cause has been entered against a Crawfordsville attorney whom the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals says intentionally altered photographs entered into the record in a slip-and-fall case. The appellate court also raised the possibility of sending the matter to the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission.
7th Circuit remands to fix sentencing inconsistency in armed robbery conviction
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has remanded to the U.S. District Court for Southern District of Indiana a case that convicted an Indianapolis man for his involvement in a string of armed pharmacy robberies. The appellate court concluded a correction was required because both the written and oral sentences imposed terms of supervised release inconsistently.
DOJ would take halted executions to high court
Attorney General William Barr told The Associated Press on Thursday that he would take the Trump administration’s bid to restart federal executions after a 16-year hiatus to the Supreme Court if necessary. Barr’s comments came hours after a district court judge temporarily blocked the administration’s plans to start executions next month.
Federal death row inmate denied stay of execution
A man sentenced to die by lethal injection at the federal prison in Terre Haute was denied a stay of execution in federal court Wednesday, narrowing his remaining appeals and potentially setting the stage for his execution scheduled next month to proceed.
Indianapolis courts must disclose pregnant minor abortion petitions
Confidential information about the number of pregnant teenagers seeking abortions without parental consent in Marion County must be turned over as discovery in one of the several abortion-related lawsuits pending in Indiana, a federal court has ruled.
Rolls-Royce embroiled in lawsuit over military contract
Indianapolis-based Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., which has spent nearly $50 million developing technology for new laser weaponry over the past decade, says a dispute with a fellow military contractor now threatens that investment.
Honoring the honorable: Marshall added, Dred Scott author removed from Southern District mural
Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, arguably best known for authoring the notorious 1857 majority opinion in Dred Scott v. Sanford, used to be featured in an Indiana Southern District Court mural. But his name was recently replaced with “Marshall,” representing longest-serving Chief Justice John Marshall and Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall, the court’s first African-American justice.
Civil penalties imposed on Imperial Petroleum fraudster upheld
A man hired to artificially inflate an Indiana oil company’s stock has lost his appeal at the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals after the federal court concluded the extent of his cooperation and whistleblower activities was adequately assessed when he was issued more than $1.5 million in civil penalties.
Dow Agro lawsuit accuses employees of stealing secrets before quitting
Dow AgroSciences LLC is crying foul, saying two former employees downloaded thousands of files of valuable and confidential information in the days leading up to their resignations, amounting to theft of company property and a violation of their non-disclosure and non-competition agreements.
Senators seeking applications after Springmann announces senior status
Indiana’s senators are taking applications for an upcoming judicial vacancy after Northern District Court Chief Judge Theresa Lazar Springmann announced she will soon take senior status.
Southern District to adopt rule amendments Dec. 1
Proposed changes to local rules of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana have been approved and will go into effect next month.
Late Judge McKinney honored in anniversary celebration
In honor of the 10th anniversary of its federal courthouse in Terre Haute, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana has hung the portrait of the man who was key to getting the judicial outpost built and who devoted great effort to helping former federal inmates re-enter society: the late Judge Larry J. McKinney.
Federal judges share experiences of judicial nomination, appointments
Several judges spoke candidly about their personal judicial nomination experiences on Friday in honor of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana’s 12th annual court history and continuing legal education symposium.
Fraudster Durham wins hearing on whether lawyer’s $1M fee created conflict
Fair Finance fraud felon Tim Durham will get a chance to grill his former trial attorney over whether his $1 million wire fraud defense representation fee created a conflict of interest between money the lawyer could pocket versus paying for witnesses Durham claims could have testified in his favor. A federal judge recently granted a new hearing on that and other grounds as Durham seeks to chisel away at his 50-year prison sentence.
Prosecutions fizzle in ‘pill mill’ case but suits proceed
Physicians and staff who were arrested and charged after Indiana and federal law enforcement officials claimed their medical practice was a pill mill are headed to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals as they push forward with a civil lawsuit claiming their prosecution was built on allegations the government knew were false.
Fired INDOT employee loses appeal claiming political firing
A former Indiana Department of Transportation supervisor who claimed his firing was motivated in part by his defense of a Democratic employee and a letter to the editor that the supervisor’s mother wrote criticizing former Gov. Mike Pence’s immigration policies failed to prove he was discriminated against, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled.
Southern District posts rule amendments effective Dec. 1
Numerous minor rule changes effective Dec. 1 have been made available by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. The rule changes deal with appearances and substitution of counsel, continuances in criminal cases, grand jury processes and other matters.
Civil rights activist discusses Brown v. Board predecessor for Hispanic Heritage month
When 8-year-old Sylvia Mendez tried to register for an all-white school in California in the 1940s, she was denied admission because of her Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage. Mendez, now a civil rights activist, shared her story and the lawsuit that changed her life during a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration Oct. 11.