Indiana secretary of state hires brother-in-law for top post
New Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales has hired his brother-in-law for a post paying a six-figure salary, in a move that has drawn criticism as crossing an ethical line.
Law
Articles
Indiana lawmakers hear, but don’t vote on, bill decriminalizing marijuana
Rep. Wendy McNamara, R-Evansville, chairs the House courts committee and said the dialogue needed to be heard but didn’t call a vote on the bill—which would have possibly advanced it to the full House Chamber.
Indiana Supreme Court lifts ban on courtroom trial broadcasts
An order issued Wednesday will give local judges the option on whether to allow news media to broadcast, record or take photographs of courtroom proceedings.
Attorney general finds Indianapolis Public Schools did not violate $1 law
The state law requires school districts to notify the state Department of Education if classroom buildings are left “vacant or unused.”
Ex-AG Hill wins summary judgment on defamation, invasion of privacy claims
Former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill has secured another victory in the yearslong legal fallout from accusations that he drunkenly groped four women at a party
Pence to fight special counsel subpoena on 2020 election
Former Vice President Mike Pence and his attorneys are planning to cite constitutional grounds as they prepare to resist special counsel Jack Smith’s efforts to compel his testimony before a grand jury.
Former church business manager sentenced to 2 years in prison
Investigators say Marie Carson illegally transferred $573,836 in church and school money into her private accounts from 2008 to 2021 and used much of the money to pay for casino gambling and an annual month-long vacation to Florida.
Rokita under investigation by disciplinary commission for statements about Indiana doctor
The proceedings stem from an ongoing legal saga between Rokita and Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an Indianapolis OBGYN.
New classified document found in FBI search of Pence home
Pence adviser Devin O’Malley said the Department of Justice completed “a thorough and unrestricted search of five hours” and removed “one document with classified markings.
Brett Favre accuses Pat McAfee of defamation in lawsuit
McAfee, who played for the Colts from 2009 to 2016, is owner of Indianapolis-based digital media production company Pat McAfee Inc.
Pence subpoenaed by special counsel probing Trump
The extraordinary scenario of a former vice president potentially testifying against his former boss in a criminal investigation comes as Mike Pence considers launching a 2024 Republican presidential bid against Donald Trump.
Individual bankruptcy filings see steep increase in 2022, bucking overall trend
Overall, filings for bankruptcy protection continued to fall nationwide and in Indiana last year.
Bad-landlords measure gets unanimous Senate committee support
A measure allowing utility companies to ask courts to appoint receivers over certain landlords behind on their utility bills passed unanimously out of an Indiana Senate committee Thursday.
Settlement reached in civil suit against former Celadon execs
The settlement comes more than three years after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed suit against former Celadon executives Eric Meek and Bobby Peavler.
Indiana justices decline to immediately hear abortion case
The state Supreme Court issued an order Monday saying the state Court of Appeals will first consider the case, after a lower court judge in December sided with residents who claim the state’s abortion ban infringes on their religious beliefs.
Pier 48 keeps serving as legal wrangling continues
The saga of disputes among the restaurant’s four founders has a new chapter, with a lawsuit filed last month against one founder by an Indianapolis financial adviser whose allegations offer a different version of events than do previous complaints.
Old National Bank sues over failed software
The Evansville-based bank is suing financial technology firm Backbase over what it calls Backbase’s “unmitigated failure” to fulfill $18 million in software contracts for a Chicago bank Old National acquired.
UPDATE: Indiana’s top court hearing challenge to state abortion ban
A top state lawyer on Thursday urged the Indiana Supreme Court to uphold the state’s Republican-backed abortion ban, even as the justices weighed whether they should decide its constitutionality before lower courts have fully considered the case.
ACLU drops court challenge to Indiana trans sports ban
The ACLU said it stands by its arguments that the Indiana law violates federal Title IX protections—and indicated that it could file future legal challenges on behalf of other transgender students.
DOJ offers 75% reduction in fines to companies that admit crimes
In some cases, companies could avoid any fines when they voluntarily disclose misconduct, cooperate with investigations and fully prevent the problems from recurring.