Search Results from The Indiana Law Blog
Ind. Decisions - "Witness against Cantrell spared jail"
Dan Hinkel reported in the NWI Times Thursday:HAMMOND | Nancy Fromm, the addiction counseling contractor who helped federal prosecutors put Democratic fixer Robert Cantrell in jail, was sentenced Thursday to two years probation. Hammond federal Senior Judge Rudy Lozano sentenced...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on June 26, 2009 01:13 PM
Ind. Decisions - Court of Appeals issues 1 today (and 9 NFP)
For publication opinions today (1): Tamica M. Webster v. State of Indiana is an 11-page, 2-1 opinion where the majority reverses Tamica Webster's conviction for Class C felony possession of cocaine. Judge Barnes concludes:Trooper Parchman’s warrantless search of Webster’s purse...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on June 22, 2009 02:02 PM
Ind. Decisions - "Bob Cantrell: No regrets, no apologies"
On Tuesday, March 31st, in federal court in Hammond, Robert Cantrell was found guilty on all charges - see ILB entry here. For background, see this ILB entry from May 31, 2008 and the linked NWI Times Bob Cantrell Trial...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on April 2, 2009 03:53 PM
Ind. Courts - Still more on: Robert Cantrell found guilty on all charges
Updating this ILB entry from Nov. 23, 2008, Dan Hinkel of the NWI Times reports this afternoon in a story that begins:HAMMOND | Robert Cantrell was sentenced to 78 months in prison Tuesday morning in Hammond federal court and ordered...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on March 31, 2009 02:12 PM
Ind. Courts - Yet more on: Robert Cantrell found guilty on all charges
This ILB entry from June 12th quoted a story by Andy Grimm in the Gary Post Tribune headed "Legal 'oversight' not likely to modify Cantrell's conviction." Today Grimm reports under the headline "New trial for Cantrell denied." Some quotes:HAMMOND —...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on November 23, 2008 12:44 PM
Ind. Courts - "Merit selection of Lake Superior judges supported by court commission"
Marisa Kwiatkowski of the NWI Times reports today:INDIANAPOLIS | The Indiana Commission on Courts voted 9-0 Monday in support of legislation that would change the selection process for Lake County Superior Court county division judges. Under the legislation, the judges...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on October 28, 2008 06:01 AM
Ind. Decisions - Court of Appeals issues 2 today (and 6 NFP)
For publication opinions today (2): In Eddie Cantrell and Cantrell Bldg. Svcs., Inc. v. Putnam Co. Sheriff's Dept. and the State of Indiana , a 13-page opinion, Judge Brown writes:Eddie Cantrell (“Cantrell”) and Cantrell Building Services, Inc. (“Corporation”), appeal the...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on October 17, 2008 12:52 PM
Ind. Courts - More on: "Group calls for merit selection of Lake County judges"
Updating this ILB entry from Oct. 2nd, Patrick Guinane of the NWI Times reports today:INDIANAPOLIS | An envoy of Lake County officials told a legislative panel Friday that depoliticizing the selection of four county judges would facilitate cost-cutting the General...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on October 4, 2008 08:10 AM
Ind. Courts - "Group calls for merit selection of Lake County judges"
John Byrne of the Gary Post-Tribune reports:Representatives of the Lake County Bar Association and local officials will testify Friday before the state Commission on Courts to explain why County Division judges in Lake County should be chosen by merit, rather...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on October 2, 2008 07:55 AM
Ind. Courts - More on: Deborah A. Rigi suspended pendente lite
Updating yesterday's ILB entry, Andy Grimm of the Gary Post Tribune has a story today that begins:Just two weeks before she is scheduled to report to federal prison, the state Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission has suspended the law license of...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on September 11, 2008 08:16 AM
Ind. Courts - "Lake County judges shy away from exclusive contracts in wake of corruption scandals"
Joe Carlson and Marisa Kwiatkowski of the NWI Times have an enterprising report today looking at current counseling services contracts. The long story begins:Judges in Lake County have shied away from exclusive contracts with counseling providers, a Times review of...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on August 31, 2008 10:10 AM
Ind. Courts - Lake County Council "frowns on unchanged budgets from county judges "
John Byrne reports today in the Gary Post-Tribune:CROWN POINT -- The Lake County Council is ready to put several county judges on notice. Unhappy with initial 2009 budget proposals from three of the four County Division courtrooms, council members said...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on August 7, 2008 09:35 AM
Ind. Courts - "Stop making judges run for office, Lake County commissioners argue"
John Byrne of the Gary Post-Tribune reports today:No judges in Lake County should run for election in political campaigns, the Lake County commissioners argue in a memo released Monday. The commissioners contend county government could be run more efficiently, and...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on August 5, 2008 09:36 AM
Ind. Courts - "After trials, one Lake County town judge changes practices"
Joe Carlson reports today in the NWI Times in a story that begins:LOWELL | After hearing in recent federal trials about the hijinks involving court-ordered alcohol counseling, Town Court Judge Thomas Vanes decided to stop ordering his defendants to attend...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on July 21, 2008 08:08 AM
Ind. Courts - More on: "Former Schererville judge to be sentenced today"
Updating this ILB entry from yesterday, Joe Carlson reports today in the NWI Times:Former Schererville Town Judge Deborah Riga was sentenced Thursday to 15 months in prison -- substantially less time than she could have received for sending more than...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on July 11, 2008 08:29 AM
Ind. Courts - "Former Schererville judge to be sentenced today"
Joe Carlson reports today in the NWI Times:HAMMOND | Exactly 25 months after Deborah Riga pleaded guilty to using her judicial powers to enrich herself, the former town judge is set to learn her prison sentence today. Riga was the...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on July 10, 2008 10:55 AM
Ind. Courts / Ind. Gov't. - Corruption in Lake County
Both Northwest Indiana newspapers have stories today focusing on corruption in Lake County. Joe Carlson of the NWI Times writes under the headline "Robert Cantrell was 45th conviction in political machine." The story begins:If the public corruption conviction against Robert...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on June 16, 2008 09:53 AM
Ind. Courts - Still more on: Robert Cantrell found guilty on all charges
"Legal 'oversight' not likely to modify Cantrell's conviction" is the headline to today's story by Andy Grimm in the Gary Post Tribune, updating this ILB entry from June 10th. Some quotes:HAMMOND -- Robert Cantrell's last-ditch effort to block his fraud...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on June 12, 2008 08:39 AM
Ind. Courts - More on: Robert Cantrell found guilty on all charges
Updating this ILB entry from last weekend, stories today on what's next. Joe Carlson's story in the NWI Times is headed "Will political operative 'flip'?" Not like, says the story. In addition, it points up the identity issue Andy Grimm...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on June 10, 2008 09:10 AM
Ind. Courts - Robert Cantrell found guilty on all charges [Updated]
Joe Carlson reports today in the NWI Times:HAMMOND | East Chicago political operative Robert Cantrell was convicted on all 11 of the federal fraud counts in the public corruption indictment against him. After about five and a half hours of...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on June 7, 2008 08:36 AM
Ind. Courts - "Riga: Cash payments hid Cantrell money trail"
Joe Carlson of the NWI Times reports again today on the Cantrell trial in Lake County federal court in a story that begins:HAMMOND | Disgraced former Judge Deborah Riga said Thursday that Robert Cantrell was not shy about using cash...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on June 6, 2008 08:25 AM
Ind. Courts - Yet more on "Intricate political web unravels at Cantrell trial"
Updating the most recent ILB entry, from June 3rd, Joe Carlson of the NWI Times has a story today headed: "Cantrell's trial now focusing on daughter's court." Some quotes:HAMMOND | When Nancy Fromm and colleague George Safana started an addiction...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on June 5, 2008 08:58 AM
Ind. Courts - Still more on "Intricate political web unravels at Cantrell trial"
Updating yesterday's ILB entry is this story today in the Gary Post-Tribune, reported by Andy Grimm. Headed "Witnesses tell of Cantrell's political clout." the story begins:HAMMOND -- Witnesses called by federal prosecutors expanded the list of services available in the...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on June 3, 2008 09:20 AM
Ind. Courts - More on "Intricate political web unravels at Cantrell trial"
Supplementing this ILB entry from Saturday, Andy Grimm of the Gary Post-Tribune has a long background story this morning on Robert Cantrell. Just a few quotes:Monday, the trial of Lake County power broker Robert Cantrell enters its second week in...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on June 2, 2008 08:55 AM
Ind. Courts - "Intricate political web unravels at Cantrell trial"
Although the ILB has had plenty of mentions of various members of the Cantrell family in Lake County, it has avoided the current federal trial of Robert Cantrell until now. This story from May 16th by Joe Carlson of the...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on May 31, 2008 11:45 AM
Ind. Courts - "4 vie for Lake county District 3 judgeship"
Related to this entry last weekend re "Lake incumbent judges get nod from lawyer group," Marisa Kwiatkowski of the NWI Tmes reported yesterday:CROWN POINT | Three newcomers are vying to unseat incumbent Lake County Superior Court Judge Julie Cantrell in...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on April 15, 2008 09:32 AM
Ind. Courts - Lake incumbent judges get nod from lawyer group
Bill Dolan reports today in the NWI Times:CROWN POINT | A group of Lake County lawyers is praising three Superior Court County Division incumbents who will face the voters next month. In the Lake County Bar Association survey, Judge Julie...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on April 12, 2008 11:49 AM
Ind. Courts - COA hears oral arguments in Hammond
Yesterday morning a panel of the Indiana Cuort of Appeals heard oral arguments in the case of Gladys E. Tobias vs. Margaret & Thomas Mannella in a courtroom in Hammond Indiana. (The case was listed in Monday's ILB "Oral arguments...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on April 8, 2008 03:27 PM
Ind. Courts - "Judges defend hiring politicians' relatives"
Bill Dolan reports today in the NWI Times, in a story that begins:CROWN POINT | Lake County judges defended their hiring practices Thursday in the wake of concern about political patronage in local courts. Lake Superior Court County Division Judge...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on November 9, 2007 09:29 AM
Ind. Courts - New federal Judge Van Bokkelen to avoid criminal cases
Joe Carlson writes today in the NWI Times:If indicted public figures like Robert Cantrell, Jewell Harris Sr. or Will Smith Jr. go on trial someday, they won't go to the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen. The soon-to-be...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on June 30, 2007 12:02 PM
Ind. Decisions - Court of Appeals issues 3 today (and 13 NFP)
For publication opinions today (3): James E. Cox v. Kandice A. Cantrell - a 22-page opinion: "We conclude that the trial court’s order transferring jurisdiction of the custody proceedings to the Michigan court was not contrary to either Indiana or...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on May 21, 2007 01:21 PM
Ind. Courts - "Judge Cantrell puts her driving school in park"
John Byrne reports today in a Gary Post Tribune story that begins:Lake Superior Court Judge Julie Cantrell is shutting down her controversial court-administered driving school. Cantrell asked the Lake County Council on Thursday to close out the budget on the...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on February 16, 2007 09:21 AM
Ind. Decisions - Court of Appeals issues 1 today (and 5 NFP)
For publication opinions today (1): Robert Gleaves v. State of Indiana - Sentencing decision. See footnote on p. 9 re "advisory" vs. "presumptive" sentences. NFP civil opinions today (2): The Uniform House, Inc. v. Scrubs To Go, Inc., et al....
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on January 11, 2007 01:44 PM
Ind. Courts - Commission on Judicial Qualifications clarifies finding re Lake Superior Court Judge Julie Cantrell
Andy Grimm of the Gary Post-Tribune reports today in a story that begins:CROWN POINT -- A state ethics commission cautioned Lake Superior Court Judge Julie Cantrell for improperly using money from driving school fees to give her staff $20,700 in...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on December 29, 2006 08:43 AM
Ind. Courts - "Another judge levels allegations against Robert Cantrell"
Joe Carlson of the NWI Times reports:EAST CHICAGO | Political operative Robert Cantrell is denying allegations from a second judge that he tried to cajole the court into hiring a counseling firm that was paying Cantrell fees. In a sworn...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on December 21, 2006 08:31 AM
Ind. Courts - "Judge says her school passes probes"
"Judge says her school passes probes: Lake Superior Court Judge Julie Cantrell's driving school has been investigated" is the headline to a story by John Byrne in today's Gary Post-Tribune. It begins:Federal and state investigators have been looking at records...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on November 4, 2006 08:04 AM
Ind. Courts - "Proposed bond court to ease overcrowding"
A story today in the Munster (NW Indiana) Times by Ruthann Robinson reports:CROWN POINT | If the working group of the jail oversight committee has its wish, a Saturday bond court in the Lake County Jail courtroom will start as...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on July 31, 2006 08:25 AM
Ind. Decisions - Supreme Court posts 6 cases decided earlier this week
Just posted on the Supreme Court website are six decisions, with dates from Wednesday and Thurday: In Claudette Cain v. Roger Griffin, a 12-page opinion, Justice Sullivan writes:Claudette Cain sued Roger and Lucy Griffin’s insurance company after a dispute arose...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on June 23, 2006 01:04 PM
Ind. Courts - Yet another story on the Lake Superior Court race
"Noncandidate Cantrell a factor in judge’s race against Villalpando" is the headline to this story in the Gary Post-Tribune by John Byrne. Some quotes:There’s a 1,000-pound elephant, er, donkey, no wait, elephant ... let’s just say gorilla ... a 1,000-pound...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on April 30, 2006 09:47 AM
Ind. Courts - More about Judge Julie Cantrell
Mentioned the the entry immediately below, Lake County Judge Julie Cantrell is also the subject of this story by John Byrne today in the Gary Post Tribune. Some quotes: CROWN POINT — Lake County Judge Julie Can-trell’s court-administered driving school...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on April 26, 2006 01:25 PM
Ind. Courts - Lake County attorneys rate judges
The Indiana Lawyer reports today on Lake County judges, in a story by Ron Browning. Some quotes:A survey of Lake County attorneys named Magistrate Michael N. Pagano the best jurist in the four county courts. The magistrate in County Division...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on April 26, 2006 01:13 PM
Ind. Courts - Two Lake judges fare poorly on bar survey
John Byrne of the Gary Post-Tribune reports today:Lake County Bar Association ratings of county judges and candidates for the bench are out, and they don’t look good for Jesse Villalpando’s sparring partners. Eduardo Fontanez and Stanley Jablonski, who are running...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on April 22, 2006 04:20 PM
Ind. Courts - Federal Lawsuit against Judge Julie Cantrell dismissed
The Munster (NW Indiana) Times reports today, in a story by Bill Dolan. It begins:CROWN POINT | Lake Superior Court Judge Julie Cantrell won her battle with a former bailiff who wanted to drag her into court over the loss...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on March 22, 2006 11:14 AM
Ind. Courts - Judge Villalpando's allegations must be properly investigated
"Villalpando's allegations must be properly investigated" writes the Munster (NW Indiana) Times today in its editorial. It begins:Our opinion: Lake Superior Court Judge Jesse Villalpando's complaints about the Cantrell family's interconnections need to be taken seriously by the Indiana Commission...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on March 14, 2006 08:46 AM
Ind. Courts - Lake Superior Court race, with charges of unethical public conduct, political cronyism, electioneering at issue
There is too much to even attempt to summarize in this story today by Bill Dolan and Marc Chase in the Munster (NW Indiana) Times, headlined: "Dealing justice? Villalpando, Cantrells wage war -- unethical public conduct, political cronyism, electioneering at...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on March 12, 2006 10:38 AM
Ind. Courts - Judge Villalpando accused of campaign law violation
Alternative title: "No-holds-barred fight for Lake County Superior Court's elected Hammond judgeship," as this earlier ILB entry on this race was titled. Today the Gary Post-Tribune reports: CROWN POINT — Eduardo Fontanez upped the ante in his bid to replace...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on January 18, 2006 09:42 AM
Ind. Courts - More on: No-holds-barred fight for Lake County Superior Court's elected Hammond judgeship
Updating yesterday's ILB report, here is a story from today's Munster (NW Indiana) Times headlined "Carter not investigating Cantrell court." Some quotes:HAMMOND | Lake County Prosecutor Bernard A. Carter denied opening an investigation into an alleged fraud scheme in Superior...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on January 13, 2006 08:24 AM
Ind. Courts - No-holds-barred fight for Lake County Superior Court's elected Hammond judgeship
"Storm watch out for judge's race" was the headline to this 12/4/05 Mark Kiesling column in the Munster (NW Indiana) Times. It begins:If you want a primer in how Lake County politics is played, keep an eye on the race...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on January 12, 2006 08:30 AM
Ind. Courts - Lake County judicial election; election vs. retention at the local level
Rich James, Gary Post-Tribune columnist, had a piece Friday titled "Villalpando will survive Cantrell’s onslaught." Judge Jesse Villalpando, James writes, is:the guy who sits in County Division Room 4 of the Lake Superior Court system. He has been there since...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on November 6, 2005 12:21 PM
Environment - Indiana-related stories today
Landfills. "Judge upholds rejection of local landfill: Attorney for county board of zoning appeals says ruling supports local control." Some quotes from this story in the Munster Times:VALPARAISO -- Porter Superior Judge Bill Alexa has upheld a decision by the...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on May 26, 2004 01:40 PM