Indiana

2 US Lawyers OK After Quake; 35 Escape N.Z. Firm Where Stairs ‘Dropped Down the Stairwells’

Updated: Visiting in New Zealand, a lawyer from Concord, N.H., is among the survivors of a devastating earthquake that collapsed buildings in the central business district of Christchurch, killing dozens and trapping others in the rubble, reports NECN. “Suddenly the floor began shaking violently, the walls began shaking, windows were…

Feb 23, 2011 12:58 AM CST

Lawyer’s Sanction Hiked After Calling Ethics System a ‘Hideous Aberration of Justice’

Lawyer Patrick Rocchio didn’t mince words in writings and testimony contesting a disciplinary matter in Indiana, calling the discipline system “a hideous aberration of justice” and the ethics rules “frivolous and antiquated.” He failed to persuade the Indiana Supreme Court, which decided to increase Rocchio’s sanction because of his contempt…

Feb 14, 2011 3:23 PM CST

‘Teen Mom’ in Reality TV Show is Charged With Battering Ex-Fiance

Shown slapping and punching her former fiance in front of their daughter on a September episode of the Teen Mom reality television show on MTV, a young woman is now facing criminal charges in Indiana. Amber Portwood was arrested today in Madison County on three counts of battery and one…

Dec 28, 2010 9:09 PM CST

Lawyer Accused of Kicking in Door, Battery of Boyfriend and Officer, Plus Carrying Knife in Bra

An Indianapolis attorney is facing three felony charges after allegedly taking the law into her own hands when she suspected her boyfriend might be with another woman. Police said Olubunmi Okanlami kicked in the front door of her unidentified boyfriend’s home as he was sleeping inside and went on the…

Dec 9, 2010 9:21 PM CST

Barnes & Thornburg Lawyer Reprimanded for Patronizing a Prostitute

A lawyer at Barnes & Thornburg has received a public reprimand for patronizing a prostitute. The lawyer, Hiroaki Nishikawara, is of counsel at the firm’s Indianapolis office, the National Law Journal reports. He didn’t comment when contacted by the publication. The Legal Profession Blog also had the story and the…

Dec 9, 2010 12:51 PM CST

Nine Lawyers From Dissolving Indianapolis Law Firm Jump to Bose McKinney

An Indianapolis law firm that once included former U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh is dissolving, but many of its lawyers and staffers will be joining a bigger rival. Tabbert Hahn Earnest and Weddle will close at the end of the year, according to the Indianapolis Star, the Indianapolis Business Journal and…

Dec 7, 2010 1:44 PM CST

78 Prosecutors Withheld Forfeited Funds, Says Law Firm Whistle-Blower Suit

An Indiana law firm has filed an unusual whistle-blower suit against 78 county prosecutors, contending that they have kept forfeited funds for their own county’s use rather than turning the money over to a state education fund as required by law. At issue in the Marion Superior Court case is…

Nov 19, 2010 8:02 PM CST

After 4 Years with Fighting Irish, Notre Dame Grad Doubles Up in 5th by Entering Law School

A dedicated student as well as a dedicated athlete, Chris Stewart found time to focus on his education at the University of Notre Dame even as the offensive line starter starred on the football field. But now he’s found a way to add a new academic challenge as he continues…

Nov 9, 2010 10:02 PM CST

Now Wed to Lawyer, Owner Tries to Give Home Back to Habitat for Humanity, Could Face Suit

After marrying a lawyer and moving into his Indiana home, Yvonne Vanderaa (now Yvonne Parkinson) tried to do the right thing. She probably could have made a profit by selling her own West Lafayette home, which she got from Habitat for Humanity. But instead she tried to give it back…

Oct 14, 2010 10:33 PM CDT

Prosecutor Reprimanded for Working for Three-Plus Years with an Inactive License

An Indiana prosecutor has been reprimanded for handling cases while he held an inactive license. The Indiana Supreme Court reprimanded Newton County Prosecutor Ed Barce in a 3-2 decision (PDF), the Journal & Courier reports. Dissenters argued that Barce should have been suspended for 30 days. Barce had an inactive…

Oct 6, 2010 12:56 PM CDT

Prosecutor Fights Effort to Boot Him from Triple-Murder Case, Due to Book Deal

A county prosecutor in Indiana is fighting an effort to force him off a triple-murder case, due to his involvement in a potential true-crime book deal prior to the defendant’s sentencing. Floyd County Prosecutor Keith Henderson, who reportedly inked a contract with a literary agent a week after defendant David…

Sep 21, 2010 5:04 PM CDT

Indiana Supreme Court Warns It Will Get Tough on Pro Hac Vice Paperwork

The Indiana Supreme Court has issued a private reprimand to a lawyer and a warning to others in an ethics case concerning a neglected application for pro hac vice status. The court found that an Indiana lawyer, who wasn’t identified, partnered with a Kentucky lawyer in a personal injury case,…

Sep 7, 2010 1:45 PM CDT

Pro Se Defendant Blames Judge for Conviction ... And Is Pro Se Again in New Trial

A pro se defendant who sat silently through much of his trial is now blaming the Indiana judge who oversaw the Vanderburgh County case for allegedly failing to warn him adequately of the dangers of self-representation and failing to notice his troubled mental state. As a result of his jury…

Aug 23, 2010 6:28 PM CDT

Prosecutor Candidate Accused of Accepting Sex for Fee After Ex-Client Claims Secret Tape

A prosecutor candidate in Southern Indiana has been accused of secretly videotaping a tryst with a former client who agreed to pay her bill with sex. The lawyer, 57-year-old William Wallace of Princeton, Ind., is a candidate for Gibson County prosecuting attorney and was formerly the contract lawyer for the…

Jun 17, 2010 11:53 AM CDT

No Permission, No Problem: Gary, Ind., Plans Michael Jackson Museum

You might think Indiana officials would have learned a lawsuit lesson from the Dillinger Museum. After a seven-year litigation saga, tourism officials in Hammond reached an undisclosed settlement with the great-nephew of notorious gangster John Dillinger that permitted the facility to reopen to the public. But now their Gary counterparts…

Jun 3, 2010 10:57 PM CDT