06292016 - Awkward moment for Porter County Indiana court officials - When a whited-out judge's signature on a court document goes viral

A Porter County Indiana judge signed a court order that Magistrate Johnson and Judge Bradford refused to sign.

Nope, this isn't the awkward moment - the original judge's signature was whited-out and Judge Bradford's signature was rubber stamped over it.

And, nope - this isn't the awkward moment either - because, it wasn't nothing a bottle of white-out can't fix:

The court order with the original judge's signature whited-out, was sent to officials throughout the state of Indiana...

And nope, this wasn't the awkward moment for Porter County Officials, because Indiana state officials didn't give a shite that Judge Bradford was rubber-stamping his signature over another judge's signature.

Awkward moment [awk-werd  mōmənt] is when it goes viral

06282016 - News Article - Porter County approves $2.25 million for new animal shelter

Porter County approves $2.25 million for new animal shelter 
NWI Times
Jun 28, 2016
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/porter-county-approves-million-for-new-animal-shelter/article_bec1ed04-996b-5d1a-8746-1a198a2ac093.html

VALPARAISO — The Porter County Council approved $2.25 million Tuesday night for a new animal shelter in what amounted to the deepest dip yet into the principal from the 2007 sale of the county hospital.

Council President Dan Whitten, D-at large, called the move a "tremendous step forward for the county" and the first of many capital projects that will be made possible by the investment of the hospital proceeds.

"I think this county is going to be very proud," he said.

The money, in addition to a $1 million donation from Valparaiso resident Jacki Stutzman, will be used to replace the county's undersized and aging shelter with a new facility along Ind. 49 near the Porter County Expo Center.

The plans for the new building, as presented last month before some tweaking, call for a 14,500-square-foot building.

"This is about fixing what's broke," said Councilman Jim Biggs, R-1st.

The council's action Tuesday night generated a round of applause from a group of shelter employees and supporters.

The Porter County Board of Commissioners approved the $2.25 million for the new shelter a couple of weeks ago. Unanimous approval from both the council and commissioners is necessary before dipping into the principal from the hospital sale proceeds.

Commissioner Jeff Good, R-Center, said the new facility will pave the way for new revenue from dog adoptions.

It will also attract new volunteers and additional donors, he said.

"I think looking forward there will be a lot of tremendous opportunities," Good said.

Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, who is Stutzman's niece, said, "This is what can be done when we all put aside our differences and find common ground for the good of the community."

06222016 - News Article - Delay sought in Soderquist public corruption case

Delay sought in Soderquist public corruption case

NWI Times

Jun 22, 2016 

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/crime-and-court/delay-sought-in-soderquist-public-corruption-case/article_8cd6d2f4-8ac7-5dd2-b00e-98f0d645b5da.html

HAMMOND — A 60-day delay has been requested in the federal sentencing of former Lake Station Mayor Keith Soderquist and his wife, Deborah Soderquist, who were found guilty Sept. 11 of improperly taking thousands of dollars from Keith Soderquist’s re-election campaign fund and the city’s food pantry account to gamble at nearby casinos.

The request, which is sought by attorneys for the government and the Soderquists, said “additional investigative matters” had come to their attention that could impact the sentencing.

The additional 60 days are needed to review the new information and prepare for sentencing, according to Wednesday’s request.

Sentencing currently is scheduled for July 13.

Keith Soderquist and stepdaughter Miranda Brakley also have admitted in federal court she embezzled City Court funds and he tried to cover it up.

06242016 - News Article - Sentencing for Soderquist, wife reset for September

Sentencing for Soderquist, wife reset for September

NWI Times

Jun 24, 2016 

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/crime-and-court/sentencing-for-soderquist-wife-reset-for-september/article_87595c25-4ef3-5e86-b0d7-eca5226efb05.html

HAMMOND — Former Lake Station Mayor Keith Soderquist and his wife, Deborah, will be sentenced Sept. 28 for improperly taking money from his re-election campaign fund and the city’s food pantry account to gamble at casinos.

U.S. District Judge Rudy Lozano on Friday granted a joint motion filed by the Soderquists’ attorneys and the U.S. attorney’s office to postpone the couple’s sentencing for 60 days because “additional investigative matters” had come to light.

The sentencing previously had been set for July 13.

A joint motion to delay a second sentencing hearing July 13 for Soderquist and his stepdaughter Miranda Brakley because of “additional investigative matters” remains pending before Senior Judge James Moody.

Soderquist and Brakley admitted in a change of plea hearing in January that she embezzled about $16,000 from Lake Station City Court while she was employed there as a clerk and he tried to cover it up.

In a separate case, a jury found the former mayor and his wife guilty Sept. 11 of improperly using his campaign funds and the city’s food pantry account to gamble.

Officials said this month a special prosecutor is taking over a state police investigation into the suspected concealment of traffic convictions in Lake Station City Court.

LaPorte County Prosecutor John M. Espar accepted a request by state police to help determine whether a number of drunken driving and other traffic cases were improperly handled between 2008 and 2012, according to the Lake County prosecutor’s office.

Brakley was employed in the City Court during that time period. Her attorney, Thomas Vanes, has said suspicion of his client is unwarranted.

06232016 - News Article - Community news: Race honoring domestic violence victim is Saturday

Community news: Race honoring domestic violence victim is Saturday
POST-TRIBUNE
June 23, 2016
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/lifestyles/ct-ptb-neighbors-briefs-st-0624-20160623-story.html
Race honoring domestic violence victim is Saturday

The inaugural 5K run/1 mile walk Bri's RACE (Raising Awareness Changes Everything) to End Domestic Violence will take place 8:30 a.m. Saturday at Sunset Hill County Park. The race is in the memory of Brianna "Bri" Hefner-Ballor, a woman murdered last year by her husband, who killed himself and left behind their 2-year-old daughter, according to a press release sent out by Porter Superior Court Judge Mary Harper.

Hefner-Ballor was an avid runner, and her mother, Elizabeth Hefner, and co-workers from the Porter County Juvenile Detention Center along with Harper created the race. They're also developing a social media campaign to reach those who need assistance because of a potentially violent relationship. Harper said, having an employee killed by domestic violence made her rethink how Porter County delivers information to those who need it. More information on the event is at brisrace.com. Proceeds will benefit The Caring Place shelter for women experiencing domestic violence.

06222016 - News Article - Bri's RACE set for Saturday

Bri's RACE set for Saturday
NWI Times
June 22, 2016
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/valparaiso/bri-s-race-set-for-saturday/article_ffeb2d82-0c04-5951-bac9-b7e1e5d487dc.html
VALPARAISO — Sunset Hill County Park will be the site for the first Bri’s RACE to end domestic violence at 8:30 a.m. Saturday.

The 5K Run/1 Mile Walk will commemorate the domestic violence awareness campaign created in the memory of Brianna “Bri” Hefner-Ballor.

Bri was killed last year by her husband, leaving behind her daughter, who is now 3 years old.

Bri was an avid runner who participated in many local and Chicago-based races.

Bri’s RACE will raise funds to address needs for those suffering from domestic violence. Bri’s RACE also is developing a social media campaign to modernize the way information about domestic violence is made available.

The goal is to reach those in the community who are in need of assistance because of a potentially violent relationship and to provide the means to obtain help and guidance.

Bri’s RACE, which stands for Raising Awareness Changes Everything, was the creation of Porter Circuit Court Judge Mary Harper, Bri’s mother Elizabeth Hefner and several of Bri’s co-workers at the Porter County Juvenile Detention Center.

Those interested in gaining more information about the social media campaign or would like to sign up for the 5K Run/1 Mile Walk can visit brisrace.org.

Proceeds will benefit the Caring Place.

06152016 - News Article - Sheriff wants no floor fight with union boss Palmateer

Sheriff wants no floor fight with union boss Palmateer

NWI Times

Jun 15, 2016 

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/sheriff-wants-no-floor-fight-with-union-boss-palmateer/article_6cf55b1a-f8b0-566f-acaf-7c7a7784ce32.html

Lake County's top Democrat won't be among the party faithful competing for a trip to next month's national convention in Philadelphia.

Lake County Sheriff John Buncich, who has been county Democratic chairman for two years, said this week he has withdrawn his delegate bid after learning that building and trades union official Randolph L. “Randy” Palmateer was among several competing for the same delegate spots.

Local Democrats are preparing to travel this weekend to Indianapolis to attend their party's state convention. State delegates will select the national convention delegates.

Buncich complains it had been the custom for the Lake County Democratic chairman to be automatically invited to the national convention "going back five county chairmen, but I was not selected as party leader."

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr., a former county chairman, and Gary Mayor Karen Freeman Wilson were selected.

"There are six at-large spots statewide the Hillary Clinton campaign had, and I was honored to be one of the six chosen," McDermott said.

McDermott said delegate seats are in short supply this time for party leaders who, like him, were all in the Clinton camp. But presidential candidate Bernie Sanders defeated Clinton statewide May 3, so a majority of the Indiana delegation will be Sanders loyalists.

That left Buncich the choice of competing for other delegate seats allocated to the 1st Congressional District, which includes Lake, Porter and eastern LaPorte counties.

"They said I would have to run against six other individuals, one of them being Randy Palmateer," Buncich said.

"I found that to be very distasteful. It is an embarrassment to have that individual represent our Democratic Party, especially at a national level."

Palmateer, business manager of the 25,000-member Northwestern Indiana Building and Construction Trades Council, has been under fire since his arrest in late March by Hammond police at a sobriety checkpoint.

Palmateer said Buncich's move is "sour grapes" over the building trades' endorsement of Marissa McDermott for Lake Circuit Court judge. Buncich had backed incumbent Judge George Paras, who lost in an upset in the May 3 primary.

Palmateer said he is running because no one else in the race represented labor, and he is excited to be trying to represent Clinton's campaign.

Drew Anderson, a spokesman for the state Democratic Party, declined to name other local candidates for the national convention.

McDermott said he has learned they include: East Chicago's state Sen. Lonnie Randolph, chairman of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus; House Minority Leader Scott Pelath, of Michigan City; and Dr. Dr. Jorge A. Benavente, a Munster optometrist.

McDermott said any voter can run as a national delegate. "But John is the chairman, bringing a delegation of Democrats to Indianapolis. If John had put effort into it, he would have easily won. Now that John's out, it's probably made Randy's chances of winning better," McDermott said.

Benavente said he decided to run as a national delegate to support Clinton's election this fall. He said it also is a gesture of support for East Chicago-born U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who has been under attack by Republican presumptive presidential nominee, Donald Trump.

Curiel presides over a lawsuit against Trump University. Trump has attacked Curiel as hostile to him because of Curiel's "Mexican heritage." Curiel's parents were born in Mexico.

06162016 - News Article - Special prosecutor now at the wheel of DUI probe

Special prosecutor now at the wheel of DUI probe
NWI Times
Jun 16, 2016
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/crime-and-court/special-prosecutor-now-at-the-wheel-of-dui-probe/article_663f41a6-0f9c-5028-94c7-afae14593067.html

CROWN POINT — A special prosecutor is taking over a state police investigation into the suspected concealment of traffic convictions in Lake Station City Court.

LaPorte County Prosecutor John M. Espar has accepted a request by state police to help determine whether a number of drunken driving and other traffic cases were improperly handled between 2008 and 2012, according to the Lake County prosecutor’s office.

Indiana State Police 1st Sgt. Al Williamson said this is an automatic precaution in cases of potential public corruption to avoid an appearance of a conflict of interest.

“A lot of times when we investigate these political type of cases, we ask for a special prosecutor of a different county for transparency reasons,” Williamson said. “We do this from the start so in case we have a question, we work right with that prosecutor.”

Lake Prosecutor Bernard Carter, who brought state police into the probe last month, agreed with them and made the official request for an outside prosecutor. Senior Lake Criminal Court Judge Salvador Vasquez ordered Espar’s appointment last week.

Williamson said of the investigation, “It is still in the infancy stages. We are having preliminary interviews. There is a lot of documentation to gather. We are working with the BMV and other branches to look at this on a case-by-case basis.”

The county prosecutes hundreds of local traffic offenders each year. State law requires local courts to submit traffic convictions to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles to enforce any court-ordered driving restrictions and for inclusion in drivers’ permanent driving histories.

Carter first requested the investigation last month after looking into why the City Court failed to submit to the BMV a 2011 reckless driving conviction for Randolph L. “Randy” Palmateer, 37, business manager for the Northwestern Indiana Building and Construction Trades Council.

He said his office discovered the Lake Station City Court hadn’t submitted other convictions and notices of driving suspensions downstate.

Mayor Christopher Anderson, who was Lake Station city judge at the time, said earlier that Miranda Brakley was clerk of the city’s court from 2008 to 2012 and responsible for transmitting convictions and driving restrictions to the BMV.

Carter said last month it appeared she intentionally refused to do so. Thomas Vanes, a Merrillville attorney representing Brakley, said their suspicion of his client is unwarranted.

He said Anderson and Brakley and former Mayor Keith Soderquist, Brakley’s stepfather, were involved in a feud. The Soderquist family had complained of improprieties in Anderson’s court to the prosecutor and federal authorities four years ago, but authorities showed no interest at that time.

Anderson fired Brakley and triggered a state audit that resulted in her guilty plea in January to embezzling about $16,000 from Lake Station City Court.

Brakley is awaiting sentencing July 7 for the theft, and Keith Soderquist awaits sentencing July 13 for pleading guilty to trying to cover up the theft.

Keith Soderquist and his wife, Deborah, also are scheduled to be sentenced July 13 for illegally using his campaign and the city’s food pantry money to gamble at area casinos.

06152016 - News Article - Sheriff Buncich wants no floor fight with union boss Palmateer

Sheriff wants no floor fight with union boss Palmateer

NWI Times

Jun 15, 2016 

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/sheriff-wants-no-floor-fight-with-union-boss-palmateer/article_6cf55b1a-f8b0-566f-acaf-7c7a7784ce32.html

Lake County's top Democrat won't be among the party faithful competing for a trip to next month's national convention in Philadelphia.

Lake County Sheriff John Buncich, who has been county Democratic chairman for two years, said this week he has withdrawn his delegate bid after learning that building and trades union official Randolph L. “Randy” Palmateer was among several competing for the same delegate spots.

Local Democrats are preparing to travel this weekend to Indianapolis to attend their party's state convention. State delegates will select the national convention delegates.

Buncich complains it had been the custom for the Lake County Democratic chairman to be automatically invited to the national convention "going back five county chairmen, but I was not selected as party leader."

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr., a former county chairman, and Gary Mayor Karen Freeman Wilson were selected.

"There are six at-large spots statewide the Hillary Clinton campaign had, and I was honored to be one of the six chosen," McDermott said.

McDermott said delegate seats are in short supply this time for party leaders who, like him, were all in the Clinton camp. But presidential candidate Bernie Sanders defeated Clinton statewide May 3, so a majority of the Indiana delegation will be Sanders loyalists.

That left Buncich the choice of competing for other delegate seats allocated to the 1st Congressional District, which includes Lake, Porter and eastern LaPorte counties.

"They said I would have to run against six other individuals, one of them being Randy Palmateer," Buncich said.

"I found that to be very distasteful. It is an embarrassment to have that individual represent our Democratic Party, especially at a national level."

Palmateer, business manager of the 25,000-member Northwestern Indiana Building and Construction Trades Council, has been under fire since his arrest in late March by Hammond police at a sobriety checkpoint.

Palmateer said Buncich's move is "sour grapes" over the building trades' endorsement of Marissa McDermott for Lake Circuit Court judge. Buncich had backed incumbent Judge George Paras, who lost in an upset in the May 3 primary.

Palmateer said he is running because no one else in the race represented labor, and he is excited to be trying to represent Clinton's campaign.

Drew Anderson, a spokesman for the state Democratic Party, declined to name other local candidates for the national convention.

McDermott said he has learned they include: East Chicago's state Sen. Lonnie Randolph, chairman of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus; House Minority Leader Scott Pelath, of Michigan City; and Dr. Dr. Jorge A. Benavente, a Munster optometrist.

McDermott said any voter can run as a national delegate. "But John is the chairman, bringing a delegation of Democrats to Indianapolis. If John had put effort into it, he would have easily won. Now that John's out, it's probably made Randy's chances of winning better," McDermott said.

Benavente said he decided to run as a national delegate to support Clinton's election this fall. He said it also is a gesture of support for East Chicago-born U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who has been under attack by Republican presumptive presidential nominee, Donald Trump.

Curiel presides over a lawsuit against Trump University. Trump has attacked Curiel as hostile to him because of Curiel's "Mexican heritage." Curiel's parents were born in Mexico.

06152016 - News Article - Lake union leader keeps RDA seat

Lake union leader keeps RDA seat

NWI Times

June 15, 2016 

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/lake-union-leader-keeps-rda-seat/article_e6398d57-aaf4-576f-8f27-7c8e5b969622.html

CROWN POINT — A split Lake County Board of Commissioners kept faith with troubled labor boss Randy Palmateer.

In the face of criticism over Palmateer's drunken driving arrest earlier this spring, the three-member county executive board reappointed him as their representative on the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, which oversees millions of dollars in economic development projects.

Commissioners Kyle Allen, D-Gary, and Mike Repay, D-Hammond, voted for Palmateer. Commissioner Gerry Scheub, D-Crown Point, voted against reappointment.

It comes a month after the Democratic majority on the Lake County Council also gave their support to Palmateer, business manager of the 25,000-member Northwestern Indiana Building and Construction Trades Council, an AFL-CIO affiliate, which represents more than 38 union trade locals in Lake, Porter, Newton and Jasper counties.

Palmateer has been under fire since Hammond police stopped him in late March at a sobriety checkpoint and arrested him despite his attempt to contact Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. Palmateer had a prior drunken driving arrest in 2011 in Crown Point.

In both cases, the prosecutor's office initially filed charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated against him and later reduced them to reckless driving convictions.

Palmateer, who wasn't present at the meeting, declined to comment when reached after the meeting.

Repay said Palmateer's service to county government on the RDA "has been as good as we can ask for. Despite his notorious legal troubles, those things haven't affected his ability to serve."

A Times review of the RDA board meetings Palmateer attended indicated he had been absent six out of 14 meetings. Repay said Palmateer told him RDA meetings once conflicted with his union meetings, but he has attended all RDA meetings since the meeting schedule changed.

Mark Leyva, who is challenging Repay in the general election this fall, said, "When you have people on these boards, they represent the county. When you have problems like Mr. Palmateer, what does that say to the public? Is this the best they can do?"

Allen said he made a promise to Palmateer to keep him on the RDA before the alleged drunken driving controversy erupted. "He made a mistake. I'll give anybody one chance," Allen said.

Allen said his vote wasn't swayed by any union financial support Palmateer can wield.

"I haven't received any contributions from the labor unions. I have only received one donation from Mr. Palmateer for $100 when I was on Gary City Council. Since I've been on the board of commissioners (four months) I haven't had a fundraiser and receive no financial support from the unions or Mr. Palmateer. I'm not doing this with blinders on," Allen said.

Scheub said voting against Palmateer, who he considers a friend, was difficult. "I feel sorry for his family. They've gone through hell on this. I just hope he understands what I did and we move forward," Scheub said.

"I got a lot of telephone calls. They thought he should go back and work on the building trades and make sure labor was tougher and stronger and back off on all this other involvement, get everything straightened out and go forward. I vote according to my district's wishes.

"I support labor. People say I do everything the unions want me to do. That's not true," Scheub said, recounting his opposition to the Illiana Expressway, the Singleton Quarry and other projects that would generate union jobs.

"This is one situation where I told them what I had to do. They weren't offended by it. Randy wasn't offended by it. They said do what you have to do," he said.

Schererville Town Councilman Jerry Tippy, who is challenging Scheub this fall, said afterward, "I found it interesting that Scheub did not try to convince his fellow commissioners to join him in voting against the appointment. It was almost as though he wanted them to vote in favor."

Lake officials first appointed Palmateer to the RDA in 2013.

06152016 - News Article - Commissioners seek $2.25 million in hospital funds for animal shelter

Commissioners seek $2.25 million in hospital funds for animal shelter
Chesterton Tribune
June 15, 2016
http://chestertontribune.com/Porter%20County/commissioners_seek_2_25_million.htm
The job of building the new Porter County Animal Shelter has been officially given to Larson-Danielson Construction.

The Porter County Commissioners voted 3-0 Tuesday to award the contract to the LaPorte-based firm with two contingencies -- that County Attorney Scott McClure has final review of the contract and that the County Council allocate the funds needed for construction.

The Commissioners then voted unanimously to ask the County Council to tap into $2,250,000 of the $10 million in proceeds from the Porter Memorial Hospital sale principal set aside for capital projects.

That is not including the $1 million donation from Valparaiso resident and Shelter benefactor Jacki Stutzman. Her donation will allow additional amenities such as an area where dogs and cats could be spayed or neutered to be built.

Commissioner Jeff Good, R-Center, told the Chesterton Tribune he believes the final cost could be close to $2.5 million, but it’s hard to say at this point.

“We’re basically getting a $3 million building for $2 million is how I see it (with the donation),” Good said after the meeting.

The Commissioners talked of putting Stutzman’s donation in a sub-fund instead of being mixed in with the Shelter’s regular donation fund.

Commissioner President John Evans, R-North, suggested part of the Shelter be named for Stutzman in appreciation for her generosity. Commissioner Laura Shurr Blaney, D-South, who is Stutzman’s niece, said she “did not ask for that” but “she would appreciate it very much.”

The County Council will meet on Tuesday, June 28, to decide whether to support the $2.25 million amount. Under home rule, unanimous votes from both the Commissioners and the Council are required to spend any of the hospital principal.

The $10 million for capital projects represents the amount of hospital money that was not invested into a foundation endowment fund created by the County.

In a related matter, the Commissioners also voted 3-0 to accept a bid of $45,665 from Olson Construction to build a new offsite access road for the Shelter, which was about $10,000 less than a bid submitted by a second firm, Walsh & Kelly.

McClure said he is in discussions with the Indiana Department of Transportation on getting a right-of-way permit for the road extension and mentioned “they are willing to process it.” The Shelter will sit off of Ind. 49 near the County Expo Center and Fairgrounds on Division Rd.

Mike Jabo of DLZ Indiana said bids have also been collected to extend sewer and waterlines from the fairgrounds but advised to wait until July to select one so it will not interfere with the County Fair’s run.

Good said that the proper permitting will be acquired before construction officially begins. “We are holding ourselves to the same standards as everyone else,” he said.

06082016 - News Article - Soderquist to be sentenced July 13

Soderquist to be sentenced July 13

Chicago Post Tribune

June 08, 2016

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-soderquist-sentencing-st-0609-20160608-story.html

Former Lake Station Mayor Keith Soderquist will find out his fate from both of his criminal cases on the same day.

According to records with the U.S. District Court in Hammond, Soderquist will be sentenced for his role in his stepdaughter's theft of city funds on July 13, the same day he will also be sentenced for using money from his campaign fund and the city's food bank to gamble with.

The sentencings will take place under different judges.

A federal jury convicted Soderquist and his wife, Deborah Soderquist, in September of using the money to pay for gambling trips to Michigan.

The couple were then set to go to a second trial on charges of helping Miranda Brakley hide that she stole money from the city when she worked there as a court clerk. However, all three reached a deal with federal attorneys earlier this year that saw the former mayor and Brakley plead guilty. Charges against Deborah Soderquist in that case were dropped in return.

Brakley's sentencing has also now been scheduled for July 7, according to court records.

06072016 - News Article - Lawsuit claims Portage union members attacked workers - Veach: Portage Parks Board

Lawsuit claims Portage union members attacked workers
Post Tribune
June 07, 2016
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-portage-union-members-sued-st-0607-20160607-story.html

A lawsuit claiming a group of Northwest Indiana union members attacked workers at a Dyer construction site will continue after it was moved to the U.S. District Court in Hammond.

The lawsuit, filed by Illinois-based D5 Ironworks and five of its employees, was transferred last week after originally being filed in Illinois.

According to the lawsuit, employees for D5 were working at the site of Plumb Creek Christian Academy, at U.S. 231 and Calumet Avenue, on Jan. 6, when Thomas Williamson Sr., a member of Local 395 Ironworkers, based in Portage, arrived.

Williamson spoke with Richard Lindner about D5 coming to a labor agreement with the union but was refused, according to the lawsuit. He then went to Dyer Baptist Church, owner of the school, and told officials there that not using union workers was unethical.

Williamson returned the next day and got into an argument with Lindner, who told him to leave, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit claims Williamson then shoved Lindner and said, "I'm taking this back to old school."

The lawsuit says that on the same day at about 3 p.m. Williamson, his son Thomas Williamson Jr. and 10 other men arrived in two cars and proceeded to attack Lindner, Scott Kudingo, Bill Tonnesen, Joe Weil and Harry Harper, punching, hitting them with scrap wood from the construction site and kicking them with steel-toe boots.

As they beat the D5 workers, the lawsuit says, the attackers yelled out that it was union work and this was their territory.

According to the lawsuit, D5 stopped working at the school site after the attack.

The lawsuit names the union and both Williamsons as defendants, as well as the other unidentified attackers.

Kudingo suffered a broken jaw and had to be taken to a hospital, according to the lawsuit.

Harold Abrahamson, an attorney for both Williamsons, declined to comment on the case. An attorney for Local 395 could not be reached for comment.

Lake County court records do not show that either of the Williamsons have been charged in the incident.

D5 is asking for an injunction against the union, including barring the union from trying to stop anyone from doing business with D5 and staying away from any D5 employee. The plaintiffs are also asking for at least $3 million in actual damages as well as unspecified punitive damages.

06022016 - News Article - Rich James: The return of the infamous 'bar tab'

Rich James: The return of the infamous 'bar tab'

Howey Politics

June 02, 2016

http://www.howeypolitics.com/Content/Columns/Columns/Article/Rich-James-The-return-of-the-infamous-bar-tab-/10/20/13935

MERRILLVILLE – It would appear it is one of those “déjà vu all over again” kind of things. Just like the loquacious Yogi Berra used to talk about in television commercials.

    

Nevertheless, the handling of the disposition of records involving drunken driving cases in Lake County, at least in one of the courts, is about to come under the microscope. Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter has asked the state police to investigation the handling of drunken driving cases in Lake Station City Court. There are allegations that documentation from drunken driving convictions aren’t being sent to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. That documentation can result in the suspension of driving privileges and higher insurance rates.

    

The allegation from Mayor Christopher Anderson, who was city judge when the alleged wrongdoing occurred, was that court clerk Miranda Brakley was responsible for transmitting the DUI conviction information to the state but never did. Brakley, the step-daughter of former Mayor Keith Soderquist, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to embezzling $16,000 from the city court. Soderquist pleaded guilty to trying to cover up the theft by trying to replace the money.

    

Carter has said he is concerned the reporting failures could involve hundreds of drivers.

    

Noted defense attorney Thomas Vanes, who represents Brakley, said his client is a scapegoat and that all courts should be checked. It was some 30 years ago that the Lake County court system hit a low when the “operation bar tab” probe into the fixing of drunken driving tickets was in full swing. Hundreds of drunken driving records were involved in that probe as state police investigators found that scores of conviction records never were sent to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

    

In most cases, it cost the driver $1,500 to have his records disappear. While some of the officials involved didn’t receive any kickbacks, they were convicted of helping cover up the wrongdoing. Two small claims court judges, the county clerk, a deputy prosecutor, bailiffs and lawyers were convicted and went to jail. Operation bar tab played out for several years in U.S. District Court in Hammond.

    

Unfortunately for Lake County’s reputation, some appear to be choosing to bring back the same scheme that left the county in disgrace many years ago. 

06022016 - News Article - Mayor: Shelter location not good for Portage

Mayor: Shelter location not good for Portage 

Post-Tribune

June 02, 2016 - 6:57PM

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-snyder-shelter-letter-st-0603-20160602-story.html

Portage Mayor James Snyder questions the location of the new Porter County animal shelter among other concerns in a letter to members of the Porter County Council and Board of Commissioners.

In the letter, dated Wednesday, Snyder said the most important reason for Portage's dissatisfaction with the location on Indiana 49 near the Porter County Expo Center and Porter County Jail is that it will hinder adoptions.

"Adoption of these animals should be priority number one, and there are few who believe that the location near the county jail and the county fairgrounds is paramount in promoting good and frequent adoption options to families and these poor animals who need a home," Snyder wrote.

Portage is the only municipality in the county that does not use the county shelter. Portage has its own animal control officers and now takes its strays to the Humane Society in Hobart, a kill shelter.

Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, disagreed with Snyder about the Ind. 49 location.

"There's a lot of factors that go into picking the perfect spot and this is it, including saving taxpayer dollars," said Blaney, who also said she doesn't think the shelter's location will hinder adoptions.

"I can guarantee better adoption rates for all the animals in Porter County," she said.

County officials have already addressed many of Snyder's concerns, said Council President Dan Whitten, D-at large. He is meeting next week with Portage City Council President Mark Oprisko, D-at large, and County Councilman Jeremy Rivas, D-2nd, whose district includes Portage, to discuss finances, the number of animals Portage would bring to the new shelter, and other matters.

"The mayor's letter is of no consequence to me," he said.

Snyder also said it would take an hour round-trip for his city's animal control officers to drop animals off at the shelter, incurring greater time and transportation costs.

The County Council discussed the new location with commissioners at their May 24 meeting. Portage City Councilwoman Sue Lynch, D-at large, who was at the meeting and served on a committees for the new shelter, said then that the location would not preclude the city from using the shelter.

County officials considered a number of different locations for a new shelter before deciding on the site on Ind. 49, which commissioners announced about a year and a half ago. Land at Sunset Hill Farm County Park, at Meridian Road and U.S. 6, was dropped as a potential location because the land was owned by the parks foundation and several people opposed using it for a shelter.

Councilman Jim Biggs, R-1st, said at the meeting that much of the county's growth is south of U.S. 30, a point he reiterated Wednesday and one that Snyder disputed in his letter.

"There is no perfect location because the demographics in Porter County change about every five years," Biggs said. "You look at a location that in most people's opinion is centrally located."

The land on Ind. 49 is owned by the county, which was one of the factors in deciding to put the shelter there, but Snyder said in his letter that county officials seemed focused on saving tax dollars rather than purchasing a more prominent property that could foster a higher rate of adoptions. He also mentioned the almost $160 million the county received from the sale of the county hospital, and a $1 million private donation toward the new shelter.

"The focus seems to rest on frugality as opposed to (the) reality of a good location and its users," Snyder wrote. "In this instance, the county's focus will potentially cost the taxpayers millions."

County government has to be frugal because it operates on a larger scale than its municipalities, Biggs said.

"I think our frugal approach is why we have dollars in the bank and I think taxpayers have backed our approach," Blaney said.

Portage officials have not yet signed a contract to join in on the new shelter, which is expected to open early next year. Construction should begin in the coming weeks.

County officials want to work with the city of Portage, Biggs said, and he thinks everyone would be better off concentrating on more important things.

"I respect what they're saying. I understand it but we made a decision we felt was in the best interest of all of Porter County."

06012016 - News Article - Indiana State Police to investigate missing court records

Indiana State Police to investigate missing court records
WISH TV 8
Associated Press
June 1, 2016 - 3:39 pm
http://wishtv.com/2016/06/01/indiana-state-police-to-investigate-missing-court-records/

CROWN POINT, Ind. (AP) — Indiana State Police plans to investigate why Lake Station City Court failed to report license restrictions to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, according to an official with the agency.

Indiana State Police First Sgt. Al Williamson said Monday that he has assigned two detectives to investigate drunken driving cases that were improperly handled between 2008 and 2012.

Lake County Prosecutor Bernard A. Carter requested the investigation last month after discovering a number of cases heard in Lake Station City Court weren’t submitted for inclusion in the permanent driving histories of defendants.

In one of the cases, a 2011 reckless driving conviction wasn’t submitted for Randolph L. “Randy” Palmateer, 37, business manager for the Northwestern Indiana Building and Construction Trades Council. Carter said his office would’ve more vigorously prosecuted Palmateer’s arrest earlier this year at a Hammond sobriety checkpoint if it had known it wasn’t his first offense.

Carter said earlier this week that he’s concerned the reporting failure could involve hundreds of drivers who should’ve had their driving privileges suspended, the (Munster) Times reported.

State law requires courts to mail convictions for serious moving violations, including drunken driving, to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, which assesses points for such convictions that remain on a person’s driving record for two years and can result in license suspensions and higher insurance rates.

Thirty years ago, several officials involved in Lake County Court in Crown Point, including two judges and a prosecutor, were convicted of making court records disappear so people convicted of drunken driving wouldn’t receive points on their driving records.