What makes our society safe (police) and free (doing what you want) is the delicate balance of power created by the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. For Hoosiers, there is also a balance of power created by Article 1, Section 11 of the Indiana Constitution.
A topic not well understood but in the daily news is when the police act (or fail to act). For police and citizens there is no agreement in any given case, but do ... Read More
09
Aug2017
04
Apr2017
While most people have some general understanding of the process that occurs in a trial, appeals are far different and the entire process is not generally reflected on television or by the general experience of the public. In this blog, the four cornerstones of an appeal are identified and addressed. The more you understand about any the process, the better able you will be to aid your attorneys in helping you make the best appeal to the Indiana Court of Appeals.1
The first and most ... Read More
14
Dec2016
Under Appellate Rule 9, a party generally has the right to appeal a final judgment to the Indiana Court of Appeals. This order is the one that decides the case. However, an appeal has some very key limitations that are easy to misunderstand and miss when deciding to appeal. This blog post covers three important such issues that generally cannot be waived on appeal.
First, if key evidence is not introduced at trial (for whatever reason) it cannot be in some way supplemental ... Read More
03
Nov2016
While very few cases of the tens of thousands of cases carefully decided by Indiana trial court judges are appealed to the Indiana Court of Appeals or Indiana Supreme Court each year, a litigant with an adverse civil judgment or criminal conviction should carefully weigh the options of appealing. This is because a judgment after the time for appeal (typically 30 days) stands and there are very few legal reasons to bring a challenge at a later date.
In criminal cases, first, the ... Read More
30
Aug2016
Most of us do not operate our lives thinking about United States Supreme Court decisions. However, those decisions shape the world we live in and balance public policies against constitutional freedoms based on the issues of the times. There are three key SCOTUS cases that have been or were recently decided that impact each person who might read this blog in some way. Understanding these cases helps ensure the public that the branches government are represented by the people.
The first ... Read More
04
Aug2016
lSince criminal cases involve the potential loss of freedom, there are trial and appellate provisions for a criminal case to be brought by a filing belated Notice of Appeal. In civil cases, Appellate Rule 9(A), it clearly states that “[u]nless the Notice of appeals is timely filed, the right to appeal shall be forfeited.”
Historically, attorneys and Indiana courts have treated this rule stemming from the 1970s as jurisdictional. This means that without a timely filing, the appellate ... Read More
28
Jul2016
There is an old phrase, “Justice Delayed is Justice Denied.” This is generally viewed in the negative, such as when a defendant has been charged and incarcerated, addressed by the right to demand a speedy trial. Sometimes it takes a defendant or civil litigant a long time otherwise to obtain a trial.
In most situations law is inherently slow because it addresses and unravels complex problems that often took a long time in the making. However, the Indiana Supreme Court is actively shortening the process ... Read More
14
Jul2016
In all criminal convictions (sentencing) and civil judgments (final orders), the non-prevailing litigant has an automatic right to appeal. Most appeals go to the Indiana Court of Appeals. With a criminal conviction at the time of sentencing, a defendant who believes he has been wrongfully convicted or received an excess sentence should most always appeal. This blog explores the two key reasons for seeking such an appeal, even in a case such as a revocation of probation.
First, failure to seek an appeal ... Read More
05
Jul2016
As a general rule, the final order of Indiana trial courts has the right to appeal. Most are taken to the Indiana Court of Appeals. A few appeals proceed directly to the Indiana Supreme Court. In this blog post, three types of matters that cannot normally be taken up on appeal are discussed as this creates significant confusion for some litigants.
The first are interlocutory orders. During the trial process a judge may make dozens or hundreds of orders to ... Read More
19
May2016
There are many legal considerations in taking an appeal from a trial court’s final order to the Indiana Court of Appeals. In this blog post, three of the most basic considerations for appeal are considered to illustrate the obvious—but not often thought of—components of an appeal.
The first is the time to prepare an appeal. On appeal to the Indiana Court of Appeals, this Court considers the written word for word account of the witness testimony. In addition, it considers exhibits.... Read More