Ordering respondents to surrender firearms is not always easy for courts—it can mean more work for staff, extra hearings to ensure compliance, and negotiations with local law enforcement about storing the weapons and ammunition. But the power to order surrender of firearms as part of issuing a protection order is a vital means of reducing lethality in family violence cases. Consider this: protection order laws are p … [Read more...] about Firearms & Protection Orders: Considering Surrender
Columns
Employee Medical Leave Rights: It's Complicated
Once upon a time, the employer determined medical leave. Whether an employee had the ability to stay home when ill without risk of termination depended on the boss. After a nine-year legislative battle, in 1993 Congress enacted the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA). For many workers, FMLA proved to be a great boon. Parents with newborns don’t have to negotiate for leaves of absence of less than twelve weeks. An i … [Read more...] about Employee Medical Leave Rights: It's Complicated
Teen dating abuse: What you need to know
The words “teen dating” usually bring to mind awkward silences, shy smiles, and high school proms. But for some adolescents and teens, dating also involves behaviors that the court system would recognize as stalking, battering, or worse. Research into teen dating violence is ongoing—the National Institute of Justice is currently sponsoring a very large study in cooperation with the independent research organization N … [Read more...] about Teen dating abuse: What you need to know
Hon. William C. Fee
This is the thirty-second of our Court Times articles that highlight up close and personal a member of the Indiana Judiciary. Steuben Superior Court Judge William C. Fee is our judge featured in this issue. He grew up in Angola in Steuben County and went to Purdue University, graduating in 1977. He graduated from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 1980. He was elected to the bench in 1984 and has been … [Read more...] about Hon. William C. Fee
Judge Valeri Haughton-Motley receives Bloomington Woman of the Year Award
Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan announced that Judge Valeri Haughton-Motley was named Bloomington’s Woman of the Year. She was honored during Women’s History Month for her outstanding service to the community. Judge Haughton-Motley was selected by members of the Woman of the Year Subcommittee of the City of Bloomington’s Commission on the Status of Women. Judge Haughton-Motley as the Woman of the Year, and two Lifetime … [Read more...] about Judge Valeri Haughton-Motley receives Bloomington Woman of the Year Award