Indiana

Ind. High Court Allows ‘Serial Filers’ to Keep Litigating

After filing dozens of lawsuits against the prison system and threatening a judge, convicted arsonist Eric D. Smith has finally set precedent. And it’s a precedent that has some predicting will create an influx of prisoner lawsuits, further clogging the court system, the Indianapolis Star reports. At issue is a…

Apr 23, 2008 3:23 PM CDT

Man’s Death Penalty Request Unlikely to Be Granted

Seeking to forgo a trial for the killings of his mother and grandparents, an Indiana defendant wrote to the judge handling his case and asked to “enter a plea for the death penalty.” But the Indianapolis Star reports that such requests are relatively common and rarely lead to such an…

Apr 23, 2008 12:28 PM CDT

Whirlpool Plant Suspends 39 Employees Caught Smoking

A Whirlpool Corp. plant in southern Indiana has suspended 39 workers, claiming the employees were in fact smokers even though they claimed on their health insurance that they had kicked the habit. Whirlpool requires its employees who smoke to pay $500 more in insurance premiums, the Evansville Courier & Press…

Apr 23, 2008 11:17 AM CDT

Quadruple Murder Conviction Tossed Because of Trial Delays

An Indiana appellate court has tossed a man’s conviction for a quadruple murder, saying the trial judge should have granted the defendant’s speedy trial motion to dismiss the case. The Indiana Court of Appeals overturned the 160-year conviction of Jeffrey Pelley, who was accused of using a shotgun to kill…

Apr 9, 2008 12:19 PM CDT

Gangster Museum Reopens After Dillinger Nephew Settles Suit

American gangster history enthusiasts will get a chance to explore the life and times of the notorious John Dillinger. The Dillinger Museum reopened Friday in Hammond, Ind., after a long-fought court battle between local tourism officials and Dillinger’s great-nephew Jeffery Scalf, the Post-Tribune reports. Scalf, who owns Dillinger LLC, which…

Mar 31, 2008 8:36 PM CDT

Vegetable Sets Off Bomb Scare at Indiana Law Office

Employees of an Indiana law office called police yesterday about a suspicious package. After it was taken by a bomb squad robot to a nearby parking lot, X-rayed and subjected to an unsuccessful detonation effort, however, it turned out to contain a large raw turnip. The vegetable had been mailed,…

Mar 14, 2008 7:59 PM CDT

New Law Firm Perk: Lactation Room

An Indiana law firm has converted a conference room into a lactation room for nursing mothers, providing them with a private and comfortable place to pump breast milk and a refrigerator in which to keep it. Although a new state law now requires employers of more than 25 to offcer…

Mar 10, 2008 5:09 PM CDT

Stanford Law Prof Decides Against Congressional Bid

In just one week’s time, Stanford University law professor Lawrence Lessig has gone from a possible congressional candidate to a law professor with a mission to reform pork-barrel spending and lobbyist influence. Lessig caused something of a stir last week when he announced he was considering a run for a…

Feb 26, 2008 1:30 PM CST

Lawyer-Sleuth May Solve 100-Year-Old Forensic Murder Mystery

Thanks to an Indiana attorney who decided to go back to school to study forensic anthropology, a 100-year-old murder mystery may be on the brink of resolution. With the help of an anthropology professor and University of Indianapolis students, attorney Andrea Simmons, 47, has exhumed what is supposed to be…

Feb 12, 2008 7:13 PM CST

Indianapolis Court Targets No-Show Jurors

Seventeen no-show jurors in Indianapolis are getting a surprise from the Marion County Superior Court: warrants for their arrest. Judge Mark Stoner has been coordinating a crackdown on no-show jurors, and his court issued the arrest warrants for contempt of court, the Indianapolis Star reports. About half of people summoned…

Jan 9, 2008 4:19 PM CST

Electing to Litigate

As primaries begin, voters, state officials and lawyers brace for more and more lawsuits

Jan 1, 2008 8:21 PM CST

$25M Gift to Indiana U’s Law School

A $25 million gift for legal education has been made to the Indiana University School of Law at Bloomington by the Lilly Endowment. It is reportedly the largest gift the law school has ever received. It will be used “for an initiative to attract and retain exceptional teachers and scholars…

Dec 12, 2007 10:11 PM CST

Barred Death Penalty Doc Works on U.S. Execution Team

A physician barred from participating in lethal injections in Missouri is on the federal government’s execution team in Indiana. Details in court documents filed in a death penalty appeal make clear that Dr. Alan Doerhoff works on the team, even though his name had been blacked out, the St. Louis…

Nov 16, 2007 2:46 PM CST

Student Accused of Shooting Law Book Released

The Indiana law student accused of firing an assault rifle at one of his law books has been released from jail. Jesse Sneed of Indiana University Law School posted bail last week after it was lowered to a $10,000 surety bond and $1,000 cash, the Indiana Daily Student News reports.…

Nov 12, 2007 6:14 PM CST

Indy Firm Gets Stadium Naming Rights

The law firm that helped bring the Colts to Indianapolis has struck a naming rights deal to become one of the founding sponsors of the team’s new stadium. Baker & Daniels will have its name on the upper and lower east club levels in a deal estimated to be worth…

Oct 24, 2007 10:12 PM CDT