Boone County tax victory needs to go statewide Sunday, February 28, 2021 4:00 AM Boone County Courthouse, Lebanon From the Association of Indiana Counties
Concerned taxpayers and local units of government alike have been waiting for Meijer’s filing deadline earlier this month to pass, with hopes they would not appeal their “dark box” case against Boone County to the Indiana Supreme Court. Indeed, the deadline came and went this month, and they did not appeal. The Indiana Tax Court’s ruling stands, and the “dark box theory” is determined to be an unacceptable methodology for property appraisals.
“This is a big win for all taxpayers in helping to end an unfair property tax burden shift from large retailers to other business, home and landowners,” Boone County Commissioner Jeff Wolfe said.
The Indiana Supreme Court has ordered the Department of Correction to pay more than $500,000 in legal fees in a fight over one of the state s deepest, darkest secrets.
At stake was whether the state had to reveal the mix of drugs the department plans to use to execute inmates on Indiana s Death Row. And last week, nearly 7 years after the case started, the Indiana Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that ordered IDOC to release the information.
The ruling will hinder Indiana s ability to carry out death penalty sentences and leaves many unresolved issues that will likely end up back in court, Solicitor General Thomas Fisher, who represented the state in the case, said in an email response to questions from IndyStar.
Elkhart County courts to resume in-person criminal trials on March 1
ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. Elkhart County will resume some court operations in March following the expiration of an order from the Indiana Supreme Court.
The Elkhart County Circuit and Superior courts will resume in-person jury and bench criminal trials as of March 1. The Indiana Supreme Court’s order suspending jury trials in the state due to COVID-19 will expire and is not expected to be extended.
Trials will resume in person as long as the county remains in the orange, yellow or blue status.
The county will not have in-person non-emergency and non-essential hearings in civil, criminal and family law cases when the county is under orange or yellow status.
FWCS board head proposes alternating comments
NIKI KELLY | The Journal Gazette
The Fort Wayne Community Schools board president has a procedural suggestion for legislators at the Statehouse.
When hearing public comment, Anne Duff would like state lawmakers to alternate between people who support and people who oppose proposed bills.
Duff said she was appalled this didn t happen when legislators heard testimony for House Bill 1005 last week.
Instead, she said during a school board meeting Monday, those who supported the bill – which calls for expanding the school voucher program – got to speak first while those against the measures had to wait hours.
Landmark Indiana Slavery Case
Posted: Feb 10, 2021 8:07 AM
Posted By: Tucker White
VINCENNES, Ind. (WTHI) - When Indiana became a state in 1816 it was labeled a free state, meaning that there could be no slavery. This was not always followed, and because of that Polly Strong sued for her freedom in 1820. Strong originally lost the case in the Knox County Circuit Court. She then appealed to the Indiana Supreme Court. The Supreme Court sided with Strong and ruled that slavery can have no existence in Indiana. This didn t free all slaves in Indiana immediately and one historian said that there were even slaves in Knox county in 1830.