After defendant had initially been found indigent and a reassessment of indigence elicited no evidence of a change in financial status, the trial court’s statement that an evaluation of defendant’s behavior (which had been obstreperous) was also relevant to indigence prompted an appellate finding the trial judge abused his discretion in finding the defendant to no longer be indigent; trial court’s finding that the defendant had forfeited his right to appointed counsel by his conduct was reversed on the basis that, without a hearing warning defendant that his conduct could result in loss of appointed counsel, the defendant could not be said to have made a knowing and intelligent waiver of the right to counsel by his conduct.
Appeals
C.S. v. State, No. 67A01-1101-JS-19, __ N.E.2d __ (Ind. Ct. App., Aug. 17, 2011).
Evidence that child skipped one day of school, missed part of five classes, was tardy twelve times and that his mother had cooperated with school and disciplined him did not suffice to raise the required status delinquency inference he was not receiving care, treatment, or rehabilitation.
Flores v. Gutierrez, No. 45A04-1101-CT-28, __ N.E.2d __ (Ind. Ct. App., Aug. 10, 2011).
Jury’s zero-damage award in negligence case was consistent with the evidence.
Kornelik v. Mittal Steel USA, Inc., et al., No. 45A03-1011-CT-58, ___ N.E.2d ___ (Ind. Ct. App., Aug. 10, 2011).
An injured employee who settles with a third party for substantially less than the damages value of his claim without the consent of his employer or his worker’s compensation carrier can subsequently reduce his lien arising under the Indiana Worker’s Compensation Act by attorney fees and pro rata costs pursuant to Indiana Code section 22-3-2-13; however, the injured employee cannot reduce the lien in the same proportion that his full recovery was reduced pursuant to Ind. Code 34-51-2-19.
Cynthia Welch v. Shawn D. Young, et al., No. 79A02-1012-CT-1407, ___ N.E.2d ___ (Ind. Ct. App., Aug. 4, 2011).
The Pfenning standard is applicable in the case of a mother hit in the knee by a youth baseball team member warming up, and to apply the Pfenning standard the Court must examine the actions of the alleged tortfeasor to determine if “the conduct of [the] participant” is within the “range of ordinary behavior of participants in the sport.”