Indiana officials face deadline on anti-nepotism law
County, city, town and township governments across Indiana are racing to adopt new rules against nepotism ahead of a July 1 deadline.
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Jury selection set to start in Durham fraud trial
The criminal case against Tim Durham and co-defendants Jim Cochran and Rick Snow is set to begin Friday in front of federal Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. Prospective jurors in the high-profile trial will be asked whether they can be impartial and not be influenced by what they have heard, read or seen about the case.
City reaches $1.5M settlement over death in Bisard case
The family of a motorcyclist Eric Wells, who died in 2010 after being struck by a patrol car driven by police officer David Bisard, has reached a $1.55 million settlement with the city of Indianapolis in its wrongful death lawsuit.
Angie’s List accuses competitor of deceptive ads
Angie’s List Inc. alleges its trademarked name is being misused by a Colorado competitor to intercept people conducting Google searches for the Indianapolis-based contractor-ratings service.
Rolls-Royce must face whistle-blowers’ lawsuit
Rolls-Royce Corp. lost a bid Monday for dismissal of a whistle-blower lawsuit pressed by two former quality-control officers claiming the company cheated the United States by failing to report defense-contract product defects.
Dead fugitive from central Indiana defrauded hundreds
Oregon authorities say 62-year-old Phillip Ferguson died last week from a gunshot wound to the head soon after fleeing from two officers and an FBI agent. Ferguson vanished in 2000 after being accused of bilking more than 600 investors out of $30 million.
Indy’s sewer-fee forgiveness ruled constitutional by high court
Indianapolis didn’t violate the Constitution when it forgave sewer-system debt owed by some homeowners while refusing to give refunds to those who had already paid, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled.
Former Indiana chief justice joins IU institute
The university appointed Randall Shepard to a two-year term as its first executive-in-residence of its Public Policy Institute within the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Shepard stepped down as chief justice in March.
Former state worker sentenced in welfare scam
A former Indiana welfare worker has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for creating bogus debit cards he and a co-worker used to steal $185,000 from needy residents' state benefit accounts.
Durham lawyer wants lifestyle out of trial
Tim Durham’s attorney is hellbent on preventing prosecutors from fixating on the things that made the Indianapolis financier a staple of TV news and gossip columns—his fancy cars, waterfront mansion and other trappings of a lavish lifestyle. Durham’s trial is set to begin on Friday.
Judge hears fight to sex offenders’ Facebook ban
A federal judge said Thursday she plans to rule within a month on the constitutionality of an Indiana law that bans registered sex offenders from using social networking websites where they could prey on children.
Emmis restructuring plan to be heard by federal judge
Whether the company can strip preferred shareholders of their right to collect millions of dollars in dividends will be decided in court. Shareholders have filed suit in an attempt to stop the proposal from being voted on.
Indiana fair lawsuits won’t go to trial until 2014
A group of lawsuits filed over last summer's deadly Indiana State Fair stage collapse likely won't go to trial for nearly two years.
Smoking-ban lawsuits face long odds, legal expert says
A constitutional law professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis said he doubts 10 bar owners have a chance fighting the city’s smoking ban in court. The ban goes into effect Friday.
IndyCar settles lawsuit over Izod sponsorship
A Florida-based sports marketing firm had claimed in a lawsuit that it was owed million of dollars in commissions for landing the clothing brand as the league’s title sponsor.
Lawsuit takes on debt-modification firm
A lawsuit filed in Georgia against an Indianapolis firm that helps consumers settle debt is just one in a parade of complaints targeting the industry.
Federal court to hear Steak n Shake franchisee appeal
The case involves an Illinois franchisee of Steak n Shake that successfully sued the company over its mandatory menu and pricing policies. The company’s appeal is set to be heard Wednesday by a federal appeals court in Chicago.
Dan Laikin spurred probe of Tim Durham, filings reveal
The FBI had been investigating Tim Durham since March 2009, when his friend Dan Laikin, a Fair Finance board member, offered up incriminating information on the Indianapolis financier in hopes of securing a lighter sentence for himself in an unrelated case.
Judge says lawsuit can proceed against for-profit educator
A federal judge has ruled that a lawsuit can proceed against a large for-profit education company accused of using improper sales tactics to lure unqualified students and the billions of dollars in financial aid they bring. The company has two colleges in Indianapolis.
Feds say wiretaps show evidence of financial plot
A federal judge in Indianapolis refused to throw out wiretap evidence in the $200 million fraud trial of former Indiana businessman Tim Durham as the government outlined a case largely based on those recordings.