The Indiana Supreme Court handed down an Order Suspending Jury Trials statewide until March 1, 2021, citing the need for drastic measures as COVID-19 continues to surge. In-person jury trials pose an exceptional risk to everyone involved—even if every precaution is taken.

It's the season of giving and even during the hardships of 2020, generous sponsors, bidders and donors helped the Indianapolis Bar Foundation raise over $26,000 during IndyBar's Giving, this year's online silent auction to benefit the programs and initiatives of the foundation.

Applications for the positions of Deputy Prosecutor-Quality of Life Unit and Supervising Attorney-Conviction Integrity Unit are being accepted through December 15, 2020.

2020 has been an extraordinary year, and we took the extraordinary step of recognizing the full Court Technology Team for their tireless work getting the Courts running remotely. Normally, the award is presented to an individual; this did not seem appropriate this year. It took a Herculean amount of work in an extremely short amount of time. While there were bumps in the road at the beginning, within weeks every criminal court in Marion County was running remotely.

Roger A. G. Sharpe, Clerk of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, announced that the Clerk's Offices in the four divisions of the Southern District of Indiana are closed to the public, beginning today, November 23, 2020. 

The United States District Court hereby gives public notice of the amendments to its Local Rules for the Southern District of Indiana, which take effect December 1, 2020.

Legal obligations to report child abuse or neglect to authorities vary from state to state. Some states impose an obligation only on categories of “mandatory reporters,” typically teachers, pastors, counselors, health care providers, or others that may be more likely than most people to encounter child abuse and neglect, with others being “discretionary reporters.”

In the case of In the Matter of the Termination of the Parent-Child Relationship of K.R. 2020 WL 6065769, decided by the Supreme Court of Indiana on October 15, 2020, the issue before the court was whether the drug tests performed on Mother and Father by an outside drug-testing facility were inadmissible hearsay. Evidence Rule 802 states, “Hearsay is not admissible unless these rules or other law provides otherwise.” The court discussed if the results we admissible under Evidence Rule 803(6). 

2020 has been (and no doubt will continue to be) like riding a roller coaster in a hurricane. Fortunately, for the IndyBar, we have a committed membership that has responded in amazing ways. While the pandemic will affect the practice of law for years to come, we can all be proud of the work our association did to respond in positive and uplifting ways. In a non-COVID year, we would typically recognize our IndyBar award winners at our annual Recognition Breakfast — typically a packed event with comradery and good cheer. Like many things this year, we will recognize our award winners in different (but no less important) ways.

The criminal practitioner is many things—dogged, dedicated and marked by a peculiar thirst for justice. But when out of the courtroom and in the living room, the criminal practitioner also loves to laugh! During these hard times, it can be hard to remember the last time a smile crossed your countenance. Luckily, these films about crime will bring a tear (of laughter!) to your eye.