Indiana

New ‘Raising the Bar’ TV Show Raises the Toll Bar

Drivers on an Indiana toll road got two hours of free tolls on Labor Day and fliers about a new legal television show. The program is called Raising the Bar, so TNT, the network that is airing the drama, decided to “raise the bar” for toll payers, the Post-Tribune reports.…

Sep 2, 2008 3:28 PM CDT

Ind. Judge Gives No-Show Juror a Sign, Literally

A Northwest Indiana judge aggravated that a juror failed to show up during the second day of a murder trial decided to teach the 20-year-old no-show, and anyone harboring similar ideas, a lesson. But rather than hold Michael Leibengood behind bars for long, Lake County, Ind., Criminal Court Judge Thomas…

Aug 12, 2008 4:12 PM CDT

Kahn Kleinman Joining Taft Stettinius, Cleveland Office to Grow to 70

Continuing its merger-fueled growth spurt, a large midwestern law firm is about to become bigger, almost doubling the size of its Cleveland office via a combination with Kahn Kleinman. The merger, which is to take place Sept. 1, will give Taft Stettinius & Hollister an attorney roster of more than…

Aug 8, 2008 3:40 PM CDT

Barnes & Thornburg Eliminates Chicago Office Summer Program

Barnes & Thornburg is eliminating its summer associate program in Chicago, at least for next year, because it’s now so easy to hire first-year associates. The 450-lawyer Indianapolis-based law firm “typically has about two to three summer associates in the Chicago office,” offering successful tryoutsfirst-year associate jobd starting the fall…

Aug 6, 2008 5:13 PM CDT

Beyond Traditional Tort Law, ‘Desk Rage’ is Now a Potential Claim

Although not recognized as a cause of action in most jurisdictions, “desk rage”—i.e., abusive or threatening conduct at the workplace—is a growing problem and a growing concern to employers and the lawyers who advise them. At its worst, the occupational violence that can result from stressed and angry employees facing…

Aug 1, 2008 11:36 PM CDT

Judge Says His Courtroom Obscenities Tied to Son’s Death

An Indiana judge charged in a misconduct complaint says he had reason to be angry when he made disparaging remarks about a defendant during a sentencing hearing in another courtroom. Judge Kenneth Scheibenberger is accused of visiting another judge’s courtroom in 2007 and calling the defendant, charged with a weapons…

Jul 17, 2008 12:38 PM CDT

Tax Lawyer Held at Gunpoint Gets Chance at Trial

An Indiana tax attorney who police held at gunpoint after a pizza shop employee falsely accused him of pulling a gun will have a shot at winning damages at a false imprisonment and defamation trial. The Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled that Tennessee lawyer Sanford Kelsey, formerly of the…

Jul 15, 2008 7:19 PM CDT

Former Ind. Judge Gets 15 Months in Court Fraud Case

A former municipal judge in Schererville, Ind., who funneled defendants’ fees to a driving school she secretly owned and demanded kickbacks from a counseling firm that worked with her court, among other alleged misconduct, has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison. Deborah Riga could have gotten two years,…

Jul 11, 2008 3:24 PM CDT

Mom Asks Judge to Restrict Visitation for Satanist Ex-Husband

A mother is asking an Indiana judge to force her Satanist ex-husband to drop off her three children at her Christian church on Sunday mornings. Kristie Meyer says her former spouse’s religious beliefs expose their children to embarrassment and confusion, and his visitation time should be restricted, the Chicago Tribune…

Jul 9, 2008 3:31 PM CDT

$50K Payment Ends Indy Law Firm’s $18M Nightmare

After worrying for two years about an $18 million jury verdict, partners of Fillenwarth Dennerline Groth & Towe were presumably delighted to ante up $50,000 to the Indiana Department of Insurance in order to win release from the judgment against the law firm. In return, the Indianapolis-based law firm has…

Jul 8, 2008 9:56 PM CDT

Pay Dispute Prompts Defenders to Withdraw From Fatal Arson Case

The appointed lawyers for a man accused of setting a fire that killed his wife and son are withdrawing from a case in which costs continue to mount. The lawyers—Zaki Ali and Joseph Cleary—say Madison County, Ind., officials have refused to pay the $95,000 needed to defend Rex David Delph,…

Jul 8, 2008 11:46 AM CDT

Attorney Held Hostage, SUV Stolen After Driving Client to Hearing

Police in central Indiana are on the hunt for a domestic battery defendant who is now wanted on charges that he held his lawyer hostage and stole his SUV. The lawyer, Thomas Hamer, reportedly took temporary custody of client Richard L. Hudson so he could escort him to a hearing…

Jul 8, 2008 10:52 AM CDT

Big Indy Firm Coming to Chicago, Plans 50-Lawyer Office

A more than 370-lawyer international law firm headquartered in Indianapolis is reportedly coming to Chicago in a big way. Baker & Daniels is establishing a presence in the Windy City with a seven-lawyer contingent from Schuyler Roche, and expects to have a 50-lawyer Chicago office in the near future, according…

Jun 2, 2008 10:34 PM CDT

New Tests in 1908 Murder Mystery: Did ‘Lady Bluebeard’ Kill Children, Too?

It looks like Belle Gunness, in addition to luring lonely men to her hillltop Indiana farm in the early 1900s and murdering and dismembering them, may have killed children there, too, according to an attorney-turned-forensic anthropologist. Although DNA test results are still awaited, attorney Andrea Simmons, who is leading a…

May 15, 2008 12:42 AM CDT

2 Midwest Firms Form 320-Lawyer Midsize Law Partnership

Effective today, two Midwest law firms have merged into a 320-lawyer partnership. It will be known by the name of the larger firm, which is based in Cincinnati—220-lawyer Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, reports the National Law Journal, in an article reprinted by New York Lawyer (reg. req.). Robert Hicks, managing…

May 1, 2008 5:24 PM CDT