Search Results from The Indiana Law Blog
Courts - More on: Kentucky judge rejects mayoral candidate's motion to seal divorce files
Updating this ILB entry from Oct. 28, 2009, Joseph Gerth of the Louisville Courier Journal reported yesterday in a story headlined "King's ex-wife asks judge to reconsider order opening court files" - here are some quotes:The former wife of Louisville...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on November 14, 2009 09:02 AM
Courts - Kentucky judge rejects mayoral candidate's motion to seal divorce files
Andrew Wolfson reported yesterday in the Louisville Courier Journal:A judge Tuesday rejected a motion by Louisville mayoral candidate Jim King and his ex-wife, Rebecca, to seal their two divorce files from the 1980s, including one in which she accused him...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on October 28, 2009 11:22 AM
Courts - PACER to List “Sealed vs. Sealed” Cases
Supplementing recent ILB entries on PACER from Sept. 2, Aug. 26, and March 1, here is some information I just ran across today, but it was posted in March of this year on the Third Branch, the newsletter of the...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on September 3, 2009 02:01 PM
Courts - "In Retirement, Justice O'Connor Still Rules "
From the Wall Street Journal today, a long story by Jess Bravin that begins:Sonia Sotomayor just became the third woman to move from the appellate bench to the U.S. Supreme Court. The first woman on the nation's highest court has...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on August 11, 2009 08:10 AM
Courts - "Dirty Laundry Aired: The Fight Over Revealing Divorce Details"
The Wall Street Journal has a long story today by Dionne Searcey. Some quotes:Disclosures during divorce proceedings often elicit disgust over the revelation of intimate details -- or delight over the revelation of intimate details. A string of recent divorce...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on May 28, 2009 03:06 PM
Ind. Decisions - More on: "Ind. Supreme Court orders review of adoption: N.J. man has custody of twins, now 4, born in Indy via a surrogate"
Updating this ILB entry from last Thursday, April 9th, Jon Murray of the Indianapolis Star has a long story today headed: "Ruling revives controversy over Melinger twins' 2006 adoption." A few quotes:The blond, blue-eyed twin girls who started life in...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on April 12, 2009 10:27 AM
Ind. Courts - Re the Appellate Clerk's docket, has the other shoe finally dropped? [Updated]
Almost exactly one year ago, on April 2, 2008, the ILB posted a note from a attorney-reader, raising the alert that the attorney's "cases that deal with juvenile delinquency matters and TPR/CHINS matters" has suddenly begun disappearing from the Appellate...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on April 1, 2009 10:20 AM
Ind. Courts - 7th Circuit briefs no longer available online?
Recall this post from yesterday on "7th Circuit issues Illinois election decision that references Indiana"? The case was Allan J. Stevo v. Keith et al,. Today I looked for the briefs in the case via the 7th Circuit site. Instead,...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on October 10, 2008 04:19 PM
Ind. Courts - Update on the sealing of records in the Clerk of the Courts Office
Readers may recall a series of ILB entries last spring, decrying "the total disappearance of some cases from the Clerk's docket, so that even the fact of their existence is no longer discernible," as stated in this April 3rd post....
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on October 8, 2008 07:34 PM
Courts - "GE Suffers a Redaction Disaster"
So reads the headline to an instructive (but not instructive enough, see below) story today by Douglas S. Malan of The Connecticut Law Tribune. Some quotes:Lawyers involved in the class action sex discrimination case against Fairfield, Conn.-based General Electric in...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on May 28, 2008 12:19 PM
Ind. Courts - Other blogs chime in
Sunday's ILB entry tiled "Vanderburgh court records move to the Web", commenting on the failure of the Supreme Court and its JTAC committee to allow private companies to access to the data stream from the Monroe County case management system,...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on April 4, 2008 05:37 PM
Ind. Courts - Yet more on the sealing of records in the Clerk of the Courts Office
Perhaps related to the total disappearance of some cases from the Clerk's docket, so that even the fact of their existence is no longer discernible, an attorney who recently visited the clerk's office sends this note this morning:I saw your...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on April 3, 2008 12:12 PM
Ind. Courts - More on the sealing of records in the Clerk of the Courts Office
The ILB has posted a number of entries on sealed cases. A good wrap-up is provided by this ILB entry from July 12, 2007. A very big concern is that when an entire case is sealed, the case must least...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on April 2, 2008 10:09 AM
Ind. Decisions - "Judge upholds Plainfield sex offender ban"
Bruce C. Smith reports in the Indianapolis Star:PLAINFIELD -- In the latest court ruling in a long-running lawsuit, a Marion County man listed on the state's sex offender registry is still banned from Plainfield's town parks. In a five-page opinion,...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on March 18, 2008 09:13 AM
Ind. Courts - "Church’s admission of abuse not enough, accuser says"
The ILB has had several entries about former priest Harry E. Monroe, including this one from June 3, 2006, headed "Lawsuit against church dismissed : Statute of limitations expired, judge rules; General Assembly partially blamed"; this one from June 5,...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on December 18, 2007 04:10 PM
Courts - "New rules on court records often ignored"
The ILB has posted many entries on sealed documents and on wrongfully sealed case files - here is a list of some of them, involving both Indiana and other states. Florida has had a particularly egregious incidence of secret dockets....
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on October 18, 2007 01:56 PM
Courts - "Sealed documents in otherwise 'unsealed' cases" redeux
This ILB entry from July 12th reported on the ILB's efforts to assure that there are docket entries in all cases on the appellate docket in Indiana, whether they are entirely sealed, or contain some sealed material. At the time,...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on August 19, 2007 06:28 PM
Courts - "Closing courts, erasing history"
The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette has a must-read editorial today opposing the ABA proposal to seal many criminal records. It begins:Five years before he killed four people in a Bayer Avenue home, Joseph Corcoran was acquitted of slaying his parents....
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on August 11, 2007 11:20 AM
Ind. Courts - Followup on "Sealed documents in otherwise 'unsealed' cases" [Updated]
The ILB has posted a number of entries on "secret dockets" and "sealed dockets" in other states. Here is a list. This has appeared not to be an issue in Indiana. However, on February 13th the ILB wrote that it...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on July 12, 2007 03:52 PM
Ind. Courts - "Rios trial costs ballooning: Court to request another $340,000 for murder case"
Jeff Wiehe reports in the Fort Wayne News Sentinel, in a long and detailed story:Allen Superior Court officials are asking County Council for another $340,945 on top of the estimated $100,000 already spent on Simon Rios’ death-penalty case, and Rios’...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on June 16, 2007 03:03 PM
Law - "Test Case Linking Vaccines and Autism Reaches Federal Court"
Tony Mauro of The Legal Times has a long and very informative story today headed "Test Case Linking Vaccines and Autism Reaches Federal Court." Here are a few quotes:On June 11, the case of Michelle Cedillo * * * goes...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on June 5, 2007 09:53 AM
Ind. Law - "Law would allow judges to seal coroners’ reports"
"Public records lawyers say Jill Behrman's death report illegally sealed " was the heading of this ILB entry from March 2, 2006, with follow-ups March 10th and June 8th of 2006. Today Niki Kelly of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on June 3, 2007 09:43 AM
Ind. Decisions - Transfer denied last week in "Flying J" case and a John Doe case
Among the Court of Appeals decisions denied transfer last week was the 10/31/06 ruling in Flying J., Inc. v. City of New Haven, Board of Zoning Appeals. This ILB entry from Nov. 6, 2006 gives a lot of background on...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on May 9, 2007 09:21 AM
Courts - "Judicial Conference Urges End to 'Secret' Dockets"
Tony Mauro has a great story today in Legal Times about changes to be made in the federal court system:The Judicial Conference took steps Tuesday to end “secret” dockets in federal courts and to eventually put audio of federal court...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on March 14, 2007 09:48 AM
Courts - Series on improperly sealed court files nominated for Pulitzer
The Pulitzer Finalists have been leaked. The ILB looked up some of the finalists' stories/series and found two terrific law-related series. One was on consumer debt - see more here. The other, from the Seattle Times, is titled "Your Courts,...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on March 9, 2007 01:14 PM
Ind. Courts - Some perspective on "Businessman's criminal rap sheet erased in legal deal" [Updated]
First off, two more items relating to this story. Thursday Ruthann Robinson had a good overview of the events in the NWI Times. Some quotes:In July, Dominic Pitzel, 53, a Crown Point businessman, petitioned the court to clear his record...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on February 24, 2007 05:41 PM
Courts - More on sealed cases in Connecticut
Typing "sealed cases" in the ILB search box turns up a long list of entries, including this one from June 9, 2004, headed "2nd Circuit rules docket sheets in Connecticut courts are public documents." The entry includes a quote from...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on February 23, 2007 12:08 PM
Courts - More on: "Jurists seal cases of colleagues: Litigants include relatives of those with ties to court"
"Kept confidential are the name of the judge who sealed the lawsuit, the names of the lawyers who litigated the case, the judge's reasoning in sealing the case, and whether Darrian or her ex-husband requested the case be hidden from...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on February 15, 2007 12:18 PM
Ind. Courts - Sealed documents in otherwise "unsealed" cases
In this Feb. 6th entry, the ILB reported on the case of John Doe v. Town of Plainfield, Indiana, an interlocutory appeal from the trial court’s grant of the Town of Plainfield’s motion to reconsider an earlier order that had...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on February 13, 2007 02:56 PM
Courts - "Jurists seal cases of colleagues: Litigants include relatives of those with ties to court"
A story this weekend from the Las Vegas Review-Journal begins:Keeping from the public information about judicial colleagues or their relatives is among the uses Clark County judges have found for their authority to seal civil cases, given them by a...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on February 12, 2007 02:03 PM
Law - Bush signing statement on postal bill seems to defeat its purpose
The ILB has posted a number of entries dealing with Presidential signing statements - here is a list of some/most of them. A Washington Post story this morning reported:President Bush signed a little-noticed statement last month asserting the authority to...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on January 5, 2007 03:47 PM
Ind. Courts - "Judge halts public access to Shine divorce papers"
The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reports today:A special judge has sealed the divorce filings of Allen County Republican Party Chairman Steve Shine. LaGrange Circuit Judge J. Scott VanDerbeck granted Shine’s request, issuing an order sealing the file Dec. 22. VanDerbeck...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on January 3, 2007 08:46 AM
Ind. Law - More on "Muncie attorney held on drug charge"
Updating this ILB entry from July 8th, the Muncie Star-Press has a story today headed "Lawyer's deal kept under wraps: No trial date for a Muncie attorney has been set on cocaine possession five months after arrest." Some quotes from...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on December 20, 2006 10:28 AM
Courts - Sealed filings more common before Supreme Court, according to reporter
Tony Mauro writes in The New York Law Journal[After discussing Gonzales v. Planned Parenthood] But in some of the other cases, the justification for secrecy is less obvious. And to some, the day's actions symbolize a little-noticed trend over the...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on October 17, 2006 09:30 AM
Ind. Courts - Jill behrman trial begins today in Martinsville: secrecy remains an issue
The Indianapolis Star website is reporting this afternoon in a story by Tim Spalding headlined "Shotgun blast killed Jill Behrman" that:Jill Behrman was killed by a 12-guage shotgun blast to the back of her head, Prosecutor Steve Sonnega told a...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on October 16, 2006 03:52 PM
Courts - More on: An end to secret dockets in Florida?
This ILB entry from Sept. 10 contained a quote from the St. Petersburg Times:When state Supreme Court Chief Justice Fred Lewis heard that court cases were being kept off the public docket in jurisdictions around Florida, his response was one...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on September 29, 2006 07:44 AM
Ind. Courts - More on: Judge unseals records in French Lick casino dispute today
A number of stories today on the French Lick casino dispute, but they focus on the details of dispute, rather than the action of the judge in sealing the entire lawsuit, including the docket itself, for nearly two months, and...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on August 1, 2006 08:29 AM
Courts - Former Connecticut Chief Justice in hot seat
The Hartford Courant has an AP story today reporting that:The state's Judicial Review Council on Wednesday found probable cause that former state Supreme Court Chief Justice William J. Sullivan violated judicial rules of conduct when he delayed the release of...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on July 19, 2006 06:57 PM
Courts - Computer Glitch Blamed by some for 'Secret Dockets' in Florida
The Daily Business Review, via Law.com, reports:Top Florida court officials in Broward and Palm Beach counties now say that computer problems were responsible for the controversial removal of many civil court cases from the public record. Broward Circuit Administrative Judge...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on July 5, 2006 08:50 AM
Ind. Courts - "Casino court records should not be sealed"
From the Bloomington Herald-Times editorial today, titled "Casino court records should not be sealed: Legislature has established that such documents are public, and case has not been made otherwise":The decision by Orange Circuit Judge Larry Blanton to seal the court...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on June 21, 2006 09:22 AM
Ind. Courts - Records on IU student's death could be released [Updated again]
Ken Kusmer writes today for the AP:MARTINSVILLE, Ind. (AP) -- A judge [today] could release autopsy and forensic reports in the death of an Indiana University student whose body was found in 2003, nearly three years after she disappeared while...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on June 8, 2006 09:32 AM
Courts - Even more on fall-out from Kentucky fen-phen case
Andrew Wolfson of the Louisville Courier Journal has more stories today on the fall-out from Kentucky's fen-phen case. (See earlier stories via this ILB entry from yesterday.) "Lawyer defends his fee: Mills says most of case's millions are already gone"...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on May 30, 2006 10:11 AM
Courts - Juror problems in federal trial of former Illinois Governor Ryan; thoughts on Indiana jurors
The Chicago Tribune reports today:A federal judge on Monday excused two jurors from former Gov. George Ryan's corruption trial after the Tribune uncovered that both had apparently concealed arrest records during jury selection six months ago. Following more than five...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on March 28, 2006 09:50 AM
Courts - Seattle Judges keep many cases secret
The Seattle Times has a number of stories today about secrecy in the King County legal system. Here is one of them, headlined "Penchant for secrecy: One judge has sealed 12 cases from view." Some quotes:The judge, speaking from the...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on March 13, 2006 04:12 PM
Ind. Courts - Camm and Behrman cases continue in the news
"Don’t rule out another Camm trial" was the headline to a long story this weekend in the New Albany News-Tribune. Some quotes:NEW ALBANY — David Camm may be behind bars, sentenced to life in prison for killing his family, but...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on March 13, 2006 06:48 AM
Courts - Thousands of federal cases kept secret
"Thousands of federal cases kept secret" is the headline to an AP story published today in the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. Some quotes:WASHINGTON - Despite the Sixth Amendment's guarantee of public trials, nearly all records are being kept secret for more...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on March 5, 2006 10:13 AM
Law - Secret dockets in Florida federal courts -- is hiding cases continuing?
A very long article from the Florida Daily Business Review is published at Law.com today, headlined "Fla. Federal Judges Slammed for Secret Docketing: Judges have been reprimanded by 11th Circuit for hiding cases -- but is the practice continuing?" Some...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on November 15, 2005 06:28 AM
Ind. Courts - Ancient historical documents available for hands-on display at Indiana Supreme Court
Just released by the Indiana Supreme Court:A number of original historical documents will be on display in the Indiana Supreme Court Courtroom on Thursday, September 15 from 4:30-6:30 p.m., Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard announced today. The Remnant Trust, of...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on September 12, 2005 02:38 PM
Ind. Fed. Court - More on "U.S. District Judge Richard Young to open portions of sealed plea agreements"
Following up on an ILB entry from last Saturday, Aug. 13 is this editorial today in the Indianapolis Star:Federal Judge Richard L. Young has correctly put the burden on federal prosecutors to show why any portion of a plea agreement...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on August 20, 2005 10:16 AM
Ind. Fed. Court - U.S. District Judge Richard Young would open portions of sealed plea agreements
"Judge striving for more openness" is the headline to a story today by Maureen Hayden of the Evansville Courier& Press. Some quotes:In an effort to keep court proceedings "as open as they can be" to the media and public, U.S....
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on August 13, 2005 11:57 AM
Indiana Courts - Indiana attorney sanctions
The Gary Post-Tribune today has a report on two recent attorney sanctions. Some quotes:A Merrillville lawyer who has been under suspension for almost a year by the Supreme Court of Indiana resigned last week from practicing law in the state....
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on November 7, 2004 10:42 AM
Indiana Decisions - Stories today from SD Indiana, Evansville
Two stories today in the Evansville Courier&Press by Maureen Hayden, reporting from the federal district court in Evansville. "Prisoner released early" is the headline to this story. Some quotes:After spending more than two years in jail waiting for his day...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on September 2, 2004 08:59 AM
Indiana courts - Two interesting Indiana-based cyberlaw cases today
"Outcome of 'cyber-squatting' case remains secret for now" is the headline to this story by Maureen Hayden in the Evansville Courier&Press today. Some quotes:Back in April, when Evansville's largest real estate company accused an aggressive competitor of pirating its Internet...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on August 25, 2004 11:25 AM
Law - 2nd Circuit rules docket sheets in Connecticut courts are public documents
This story in today's Hartfort Courant (intrusive registration required) is headlined "Docket Sheets Are Public: Appellate Ruling Gives First Amendment Right." It begins:The U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that the press and public have a First Amendment...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on June 9, 2004 09:12 AM
Indiana Law - More on Juror Secrecy
Yesterday (scroll down) we posted an entry referencing a Fort Wayne Journal Gazette editorial protesting that "New state court rules and local court practices designed to protect the privacy of people who serve on juries have" combined, in some instances,...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on April 7, 2004 10:04 AM
Law - NY Expanding Public Access to Court Documents
An AP story yesterday reports that the New York State "Office of Court Administration said Wednesday it will begin posting briefs and other court documents on the Web, agreeing with a commission that the Internet provides a dramatic opportunity to...
Posted in The Indiana Law Blog on February 27, 2004 09:09 AM