GOP state lawmakers file coronavirus legal immunity legislation
Coronavirus immunity legislation is a top priority this year for GOP lawmakers and business organizations. It is also on Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb’s legislative agenda.
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Rokita names Indiana inspector general as chief of staff, deputy AG
Prior to serving as inspector general, Lori Torres was commissioner of the Indiana Department of Labor under former Gov. Mitch Daniels and general counsel and deputy commissioner for the Indiana Department of Transportation.
Lawmakers seek to shield businesses from COVID lawsuits
Several state lawmakers have been drafting coronavirus immunity legislation over the past several months as efforts in Congress to pass federal legislation have stalled.
Greenwood man facing 19 charges in $14 million fraud case
Prosecutors say Daniel R. Fruits, 46, defrauded his former employer out of millions of dollars that he spent on real estate, cars, Rolex watches, escort services and other items.
Indiana BBQ restaurant sues governor, state over mask mandate
The suit alleges the governor’s executive order is unconstitutional and caused “unjust injury to [the restaurant’s] fundamental civil rights, liberty interests and property rights.”
States making bold new legal claims in two Google lawsuits
The latest case came Thursday as dozens of states filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google, alleging that the search giant exercises an illegal monopoly over the online search market, hurting consumers and advertisers.
Indiana, nine other states sue Google for ‘anti-competitive’ online ad sales
The states are accusing the search giant of “anti-competitive conduct” in the online advertising industry, including a deal to manipulate sales with rival Facebook.
U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear NCAA athlete compensation case
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to review a court decision that the NCAA has said blurred “the line between student-athletes and professionals” by removing caps on education-related money certain football and basketball players can receive.
U.S., states crack down on scams bilking desperate Americans
Regulators on Monday unveiled what they are calling “Operation Income Illusion,” a yearlong nationwide law-enforcement sweep targeting the scammers. Consumers have lost an estimated $1 billion in the schemes since the start of 2020.
U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear Indiana birth certificate case
The court declined Monday to take up an Indiana case seeking to reverse a lower court’s ruling that allows both members of same-sex couples in the state to be listed as parents on the birth certificates of their children.
Jury trials suspended in Indiana until March because of pandemic
The Indiana Supreme Court on Monday handed down an order suspending jury trials statewide, citing “the need for drastic measures as COVID-19 continues to surge.”
Denied: Judges across political spectrum rejected Trump’s efforts to challenge votes
In a remarkable show of near-unanimity across the nation’s judiciary, at least 86 judges—ranging from jurists serving at the lowest levels of state court systems to members of the United States Supreme Court—rejected at least one post-election lawsuit filed by President Trump or his supporters.
After a long campaign by anti-corruption groups, Congress bans anonymous shell companies
A groundbreaking measure to end the creation of anonymous shell companies in the United States cleared Congress on Friday as the Senate joined the House in passing a defense-spending bill with a veto-proof margin.
Landmark suits call Facebook illegal monopoly, setting stage for potential breakup
The lawsuits together represent the most significant political and legal threats to Facebook in its more than 16-year history, setting up a high-profile clash between U.S. regulators and one of Silicon Valley’s most profitable firms that could take years to resolve.
Lawyer reprimanded, but escapes discipline charges in Park Tudor scandal
Prominent Indianapolis employment law attorney Michael Blickman received a public reprimand from the Indiana Supreme Court related to his handling of a former high school basketball coach’s student sexting scandal.
U.S. government, states sue Facebook for ‘predatory’ conduct
Federal regulators on Wednesday sued to force a breakup of Facebook as 48 states and districts accused the company in a separate lawsuit of abusing its market power in social networking to crush smaller competitors.
Ex-magistrate banned from judicial service after meth case
Indiana’s high court has permanently banned a former Hamilton County magistrate from holding judicial office following his guilty plea in a drug possession case where he bit an officer’s hand after buying methamphetamine.
NCAA stands firm on findings against Louisville in response
The Indianapolis-based NCAA is standing by its charges of rules violations by the University of Louisville, including holding the school responsible for the conduct of sportswear supplier Adidas.
Indiana GOP chairman joining law firm as partner
Indiana Republican Party Chairman Kyle Hupfer will focus on general corporate law and strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and government relations for Taft Stettinius & Hollister, the law firm announced Monday.
Blind voters claim discrimination by Indiana officials
Blind voters argue in a federal lawsuit that Indiana officials are restricting their voting rights by not adopting methods that allow them to cast ballots from home without the assistance of others.