Ex-podiatry office manager handed 5-year fraud sentence
Investigators said Leslie Smith engaged in multiple fraud schemes against her employer, relatives, and the government.
Legal Issues
Articles
Who gets paid? How much? What to know about the landmark NCAA settlement.
The plan, which still needs approval from plaintiffs and a federal judge, calls for paying damages to thousands of former and current college athletes who say now-defunct NCAA rules prevented them from earning endorsement money.
NCAA votes to accept $2.8B settlement that will usher in dramatic changes for college sports
The settlement could resolve three major antitrust lawsuits against the NCAA that carry the threat of some $20 billion in damages, a blow that would cripple the organization. The settlement includes dramatic changes to the NCAA’s amateur sports model.
Softer federal stance on marijuana could boost legalization efforts in Indiana
Some advocates wonder if the proposed reclassification of marijuana could be the game changer that opens the floodgates for legalization in the state’s 2025 legislative session.
Nickel Plate Trail landowners secure $7.6M in federal settlement
The settlement involves 168 property owners along more than 20 miles of the trail from just south of East 16th Street in Indianapolis to just west of the White River in Noblesville.
Exonerated man sues Indianapolis police, alleges he was framed for murder
Leon Benson spent 25 years at the Correctional Industrial Facility in Pendleton for the 1998 murder of Kasey Schoen, but was exonerated last year.
Google wants judge, not jury, to decide upcoming antitrust case
To bolster its case, the tech giant wrote a multimillion-dollar check to the U.S. government that it says renders moot the government’s best argument for demanding a jury trial.
Justice Department formally moves to reclassify marijuana as less dangerous drug
A proposed rule sent Thursday to the federal register recognizes medical uses of cannabis and acknowledges it has less potential for abuse than some of the most dangerous drugs.
AG Rokita warns universities they could lose funding over antisemitism on campuses
Letters were sent to the trustee boards at Indiana University, Purdue University, Ball State University, Indiana State University, IUPUI, University of Southern Indiana, Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University.
Are tacos and burritos sandwiches? A judge in Indiana ruled yes.
A developer of the shopping center property wanted to allow the Famous Taco restaurant to open there, but a nearby condominium association raised concerns that the business violated the property’s zoning policy.
Carmel man sentenced for role in $2.1M institutional fraud scheme
A 35-year-old Carmel man has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison after helping steal more than $2.1 million from a credit union, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday.
Lilly settles with spa selling knockoff versions of its popular diabetes, weight-loss drugs
In a series of lawsuits Lilly filed in September and October in federal court, the drugmaker had accused Totality Medispa of trademark infringement, false advertising, unfair competition and unfair trade practices.
Content creators sue U.S. government over law that could ban TikTok
Attorneys for the creators argue in the lawsuit that the law violates users’ First Amendment rights to free speech, echoing arguments made by TikTok in a separate lawsuit filed by the company last week. The legal challenge could end up before the Supreme Court.
Delta-8 legal clarification unlikely as Statehouse stalemate persists
Delta-8, a marijuana-like drug, has grown into a billion-dollar Hoosier industry. But it’s done so on shaky legal ground, leaving retailers and law enforcement officials alike seeking legislative clarification: is delta-8 allowed in Indiana?
Republican congressmen introduce bill that would protect NCAA, conferences from legal attacks
The Protect The Ball Act is intended to provide legal safe harbor for the entities that run college sport, which has been under siege from antitrust lawsuits.
TikTok sues U.S. to block law that could ban the social media platform
The popular social video company alleges the law, which President Joe Biden signed as part of a larger $95 billion foreign aid package, is “obviously unconstitutional.”
Indiana Supreme Court hands down suspension, probation for Indianapolis attorney
The attorney was disciplined for his refusal to refund fees to a client after not filing a sentence modification petition.
Paying college athletes appears closer than ever. How could it work and what stands in the way?
A settlement being discussed in an antitrust lawsuit against the Indianapolis-based NCAA and major college conferences could cost billions and pave the way for a compensation model for college athletes.
Redfin agrees to pay $9.25M to settle real estate commission suits
Redfin is the latest big brokerage to agree to settlement terms. All told, the industry has now agreed to pay more than $950 million to make the lawsuits go away.
As U.S. moves to reclassify marijuana as less dangerous, could more states legalize it?
Advocates for marijuana legalization hope a federal regulatory shift could eventually change the minds—and votes—of some state policymakers who have been reluctant to embrace weed.