Facemasks mandatory again at City-County Building, local courts
The judges said rising COVID-19 case numbers and a positivity rate that has risen to 10.5% have created a need for the order.
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Federal judge leaves CDC evictions moratorium in place
U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich has refused landlords’ request to put the Biden administration’s new eviction moratorium on hold, though she made clear she thinks it’s illegal.
Supreme Court justice won’t block Indiana University vaccine mandate
Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s action came in response to an emergency request from eight students, and it marked the first time the high court has weighed in on a vaccine mandate.
Federal judge rules against several Indiana abortion laws
The anti-abortion group Indiana Right to Life denounced the decision as “judicial activism at its absolute worst.”
Indianapolis man alleges van ride to jail left him paralyzed
The lawsuit names the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and some of its employees, as well as Indianapolis police officers and some city officials.
Carmel-based firm uncovers three separate cases of employee fraud
Maria Caceres, a former employee of Seven Corners Inc., stands accused of defrauding the travel insurer by submitting false claims—the third employee to face such charges within two years in separate cases.
Students challenging IU vaccine mandate file for U.S. Supreme Court review
The students-plaintiffs have challenged the mandate in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana and at the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, but so far their efforts have been unsuccessful.
Indiana records nearly 500 eviction petitions filed at start of August
In the window between the end of the previous moratorium on evictions and the issuance of the current ban, 486 eviction cases were filed in Indiana from Aug. 1 through midday Aug. 4, according to data from the Indiana Supreme Court.
Defendants found guilty on all charges in Banc-Serv fraud trial
The five former directors and employees of the now-defunct Westfield firm were found guilty on fraud and conspiracy charges. Prosecutors say the five submitted false information in order to get more than $10 million in ineligible loans approved by the Small Business Administration.
Rokita loses first attempt at state high court to stop governor’s suit against General Assembly
The Indiana Supreme Court has denied Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita’s emergency petition to halt a trial court from continuing proceedings in the governor’s lawsuit against the Legislature.
Carmel council’s harassment investigation won’t include details of city settlement
The Carmel City Council voted Monday to continue its investigation into allegations that former city attorney Doug Haney harassed a city employee without including detailed information from the city’s settlement with the complainant.
Southern, Northern District courts reinstate mask, social distancing mandates
Starting Tuesday, anyone coming in or occupying public areas of the four courthouses of the Southern District of Indiana must wear face coverings and maintain six feet of social distancing in all public spaces, regardless of vaccination status.
Explainer: How Indiana evictions might surge post-moratorium
More than 51,000 eviction filings have been made in Indiana during the pandemic, including nearly 16,000 in the Indianapolis metropolitan area, according to Indiana Legal Services.
Police say Indianapolis FedEx shooter not motivated by race, ethnicity
Four of the eight people killed by Brandon Scott Hole on April 15 were members of the city’s Sikh community, but investigators said Wednesday he did not appear to be motivated by bias. Rather, Hole was suicidal and wanted to “demonstrate his masculinity.”
Gun maker offers $33M to settle suit by Sandy Hook families
The settlement offers were filed a day after a judge denied Remington’s request to dismiss the lawsuit.
Fraud trial begins for five former directors, employees at Westfield financial firm
The five defendants in the trial include the two co-founders of now-defunct financial services firm Banc-Serv, plus three former employees.
U.S. attorney picks for Indiana include historic firsts, son of gubernatorial candidate
President Biden’s nominees include Zachary Myers, who specializes in national security and cyber matters as a federal prosecutor and who the White House says would be the first Black U.S. attorney in the Southern District of Indiana.
Superfund site near Zionsville at center of $3M environmental legal fight
A trust overseeing cleanup of Superfund site north of Zionsville is suing an environmental remediation firm after tests showed contaminant levels in the target area were higher than expected. The company has filed its own suit against the trust.
Indiana expected to get $507 million from opioid settlement
Local governments currently litigating, such as Indianapolis, were provided the ability to opt out of the state’s opioid plan. Those local governments have the opportunity to opt back in within 60 days of opting out, according to the attorney general’s office.
Appeals court again affirms on rehearing in ex-Anthem exec’s suit
Members of the Indiana Court of Appeals haven’t changed their minds in a case involving a fired Anthem executive’s failed appeal of a jury verdict for the insurance company,