UPDATE: Defense takes turn in Marsh civil trial
Don Marsh finally got off the hot seat Wednesday afternoon after his former company wrapped up nearly two days of questioning, but he didn't stay off the witness stand for long.
Law
Articles
Jury: Real estate execs Bales, Spencer not guilty of fraud
SOUTH BEND — John M. Bales lifted his crossed hands to his face and began to cry Thursday evening as a federal judge read the same jury verdict on each of 13 fraud counts against the real estate broker and his partner: Not guilty.
Defense rests in Bales trial after flurry of witnesses
Closing arguments are expected to begin Wednesday afternoon in the federal fraud trial of Indianapolis real estate broker John M. Bales and partner William E. Spencer after the defense raced through seven witnesses Tuesday and early Wednesday.
UPDATE: Jet trips during affairs were also for business, Marsh testifies
In a day on the witness stand, former Marsh Supermarkets Inc. CEO Don Marsh told jurors during his fraud trial Tuesday that he’s not proud of his extramarital affairs, but he insisted the private jet trips he took to visit his mistresses were business-related.
FBI agent references Brizzi in Bales trial testimony
Federal prosecutors rested their fraud case against John M. Bales and partner William E. Spencer on Monday after a full day of testimony from FBI Special Agent Brian Percival that included several references to former Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi.
Marsh to call former CEO as first witness
The lead lawyer for Marsh Supermarkets Inc. expects to call Don Marsh as its first witness when the civil trial against him reconvenes Tuesday. The grocery chain alleges that the former CEO used company funds to pay more than $3 million in personal expenses.
Indiana agencies team up to battle unemployment fraud
The Marion County prosecutor's office is teaming with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development to prosecute people suspected of committing unemployment insurance fraud in Indiana.
Simon unit suing Stir Crazy chain for unpaid rent
The owner of Castleton Square Mall is suing its former tenant for $471,031 following the restaurant’s closing late last month.
Defense attorneys turn tough in Bales trial
The legal team representing real estate broker John M. Bales and partner William E. Spencer haven't called their first witness and already they're putting up a spirited fight as federal prosecutors seek to prove 13 charges including bank, mail and wire fraud.
Families sue to recover lost investments
A central Indiana county commissioner, his wife and members of three other families who lost more than $700,000 they invested in businesses state officials say were shell companies are suing two men accused of orchestrating the scheme.
Barnes & Thornburg’s longtime chief gives suitors cold shoulder
Alan Levin has been managing partner of Barnes & Thornburg LLP for 16 years, far longer than the heads of most major Indianapolis law firms. But what most sets him apart is that he’s built his firm into a national practice by taking the maverick approach of going it alone instead of merging with an out-of-state rival.
Law firm adds pharmacy practice
Hall Render Killian Heath & Lyman will draw on existing expertise within the firm to create the 10-member group.
Jury selected in Marsh civil trial
Don Marsh, the former supermarket-chain CEO, went on trial in civil court Monday morning over millions of dollars in expenses he charged to the company. Proceedings got underway with attorneys selecting five men and four women for the jury before breaking for lunch.
Pence ‘loser pays’ tort-reform bill withdrawn from Senate
A tort reform measure from Gov. Mike Pence's first-year agenda has gone down in defeat amid opposition in a key Senate committee.
Former Venture employee turns on Bales during testimony
An FBI investigation into Venture Real Estate Services and principals John Bales and Bill Spencer had already begun when Matthew Dyer signed on as the company's controller in December 2009. Bales told him the company had done nothing illegal, Dyer testified Wednesday.
Defense attorneys in Bales case trash former co-defendant
Attorney and developer Paul J. Page is no longer a co-defendant in the fraud trial of real estate broker John M. Bales and partner Bill Spencer. But you wouldn’t know it from the action Tuesday in U.S. District Court. Only now, rather than federal prosecutors, it’s defense attorneys for Bales and Spencer who are targeting Page.
Judge clears two horsemen from defamation suit
A federal judge has released two Indiana horsemen from the ongoing defamation and conspiracy case brought by Ed Martin Jr., a former car dealer and thoroughbred breeder.
Bales defense: Elkhart deal was a ‘scheme to help’
Facing a looming deadline to find suitable office space for the state Department of Child Services, Indianapolis real estate broker John M. Bales and partner Bill Spencer in 2008 dipped into their own pockets to help close a difficult lease deal, their defense attorneys contend.
Sale of family-owned business leads to lawsuit
Deborah Ecksten, a former shareholder of Indianapolis-based Createc Corp., is suing her brother and mother, claiming they earned multimillion-dollar profits at her expense by selling the company without her knowledge.
Fraud trial for broker Bales begins in South Bend
The federal fraud trial of Indianapolis real estate broker John M. Bales and a partner began Monday morning in South Bend with a jury-selection process that may not have run as smoothly if it took place in central Indiana.