Supreme Court of Indiana Decisions
Article 7 of the Indiana Constitution provides the authority for the Indiana Supreme Court, which consists of five justices. The Indiana General Assembly may increase the size of the Court to nine justices. The Court reviews direct appeals of cases in which the defendant was sentenced to death or life in prison, as well as cases in which a trial court has determined that a statute is unconstitutional. The Court also reviews decisions by the Indiana Court of Appeals and the Indiana Tax Court, and it can review sentencing decisions in lower courts. It holds exclusive jurisdiction over matters related to the legal profession in Indiana, such as sanctions issued to lawyers and judges. The Court also holds exclusive jurisdiction over certain other matters, such as post-conviction relief in cases involving a death sentence.
When a new justice needs to be chosen, the Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission will provide the Governor of Indiana with a list of three nominees. To be eligible for consideration, a candidate must have practiced law in Indiana for at least 10 years or have served as a trial court judge for at least five years. The Commission uses guidelines provided in Public Law 427 to develop the list. The Governor then has 60 days to choose the new justice. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court will choose the new justice if the Governor fails to decide within 60 days. Each justice must go through a retention election in the first general election after two years have passed since their appointment. If they secure retention, they will serve a full 10-year term before seeking retention again. Each justice must retire when they reach the age of 75.
The Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court serves a renewable five-year term. The Judicial Nominating Commission fills this position as well. If there is a vacancy, the most senior justice currently serving on the Court will become the Acting Chief Justice until the appointment of a new Chief Justice.
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Recent Decisions From the Supreme Court of Indiana
Date: April 10, 2024
Docket Number: 23S-JV-00246
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2022, a delinquency petition was filed against G.W., a 17-year-old, alleging that he had committed acts that would be considered theft and criminal trespass if committed as an adult. G.W. admitted to one allegation of…
Date: April 10, 2024
Docket Number: 24S-CR-00123
Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around Sabrina Dunn, who was charged with murder after shooting her ex-husband, Bill Dunn, in her home. The couple had a history of domestic disputes, with Bill exhibiting erratic and abusive behavior,…
Date: April 2, 2024
Docket Number: 23S-CT-00272
Justia Opinion Summary: This case involved Safeco Insurance Company (Safeco) appealing against the trial court's dismissal of its third-party spoliation and negligence claims against the Michaelis Corporation. The dispute originated from a fire…
Date: March 20, 2024
Docket Number: 23S-DN-00245
Justia Opinion Summary: The case pertains to a marital dissolution dispute in Indiana where the husband's police pension constituted the majority of the couple's marital estate. The husband was reluctant to share his pension with his wife,…
Date: March 12, 2024
Docket Number: 23S-JV-00040
Justia Opinion Summary: This case before the Indiana Supreme Court concerns a juvenile, A.W., who was adjudicated for possession of a machine gun and dangerous possession of a firearm. The court was asked to determine if these adjudications…
Date: March 6, 2024
Docket Number: 23S-PL-00371
Justia Opinion Summary: In a case before the Indiana Supreme Court, John Rust sought the Republican nomination for U.S. Senator for Indiana in 2024. Rust was concerned that he may be denied access to the primary ballot because he did not meet…
Date: February 15, 2024
Docket Number: 24S-CR-00055
Justia Opinion Summary: The Indiana Supreme Court vacated the theft convictions of Jennifer Teising, a former township trustee. Teising had been convicted on 21 counts of theft after she moved out of the township she represented and continued…
Date: February 12, 2024
Docket Number: 23S-CT-00184
Justia Opinion Summary: A fatal car crash led to a lawsuit against two Indiana restaurants that had served alcohol to the intoxicated driver responsible for the accident. The estate of the deceased sued the restaurants for negligence, arguing…
Date: February 8, 2024
Docket Number: 23S-OR-00311
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2022, Richard Allen was charged with the murder of two teenage girls in Indiana. Due to his inability to afford a lawyer, the trial court appointed public defenders Andrew Baldwin and Brad Rozzi to represent him.…
Date: February 8, 2024
Docket Number: 23S-PL-00071
Justia Opinion Summary: In this case decided by the Indiana Supreme Court, plaintiff Dux North LLC, the owner of a landlocked property in rural Hamilton County, Indiana, sought an implied easement over adjacent property owned by defendants…
Date: February 5, 2024
Docket Number: 24S-MI-00046
Justia Opinion Summary: This case before the Indiana Supreme Court involved the intersection of a successful Section 1983 federal action and Indiana’s public-employee indemnification statute. The plaintiff, Kailee Leonard, hit and killed a dog…
Date: February 1, 2024
Docket Number: 23S-CP-00115
Justia Opinion Summary: The Indiana Supreme Court heard a case involving a dispute between Tonia Land and the IU Credit Union (IUCU). When Land became a customer at the credit union, she was given an account agreement that could be modified at…
Date: January 30, 2024
Docket Number: 23S-CR-00232
Justia Opinion Summary: In November 2021, Tailar Spells was arrested and charged with Level 6 felony battery by bodily waste and Class A misdemeanor resisting law enforcement. A $250 cash bond was set, which was deposited in full by a third…
Date: January 25, 2024
Docket Number: 23S-CT-00099
Justia Opinion Summary: Edward Zaragoza, an inmate suffering from hypothyroidism, filed a lawsuit against three prison physicians and their employer. Zaragoza claimed that the doctors' treatment decisions, specifically their refusal to provide…
Date: January 25, 2024
Docket Number: 23S-CT-00109
Justia Opinion Summary: The Indiana Supreme Court dealt with a medical malpractice case where Penny Korakis sued two doctors and a hospital for injuries she sustained from an automobile accident. The central issue was whether the state's…
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
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