Indiana Supreme Court rules in favor of clients of Notre Dame Law School's Exoneration Justice Clinic | News | The Law School

Last week, the Indiana Supreme Court issued a ruling in favor of four clients of Notre Dame Law School's Exoneration Justice Clinic (EJC), finding that they are entitled to have their cases heard by a new judge.

The Supreme Court's decision stemmed from several cases the EJC is litigating on behalf of its clients Iris Seabolt, Reginald Dillard, Leon Tyson and Pink Robinson in Elkhart County, Indiana. Each of these individuals claims they were wrongfully convicted, in part due to systematic misconduct by the Elkhart County police and prosecutors. Six people have already been acquitted of serious crimes in Elkhart County – the highest number of any county in Indiana.

The EJC clients' cases were all assigned to Judge Teresa Cataldo, the presiding judge of Elkhart Superior Court No. 3. However, in an earlier case involving EJC client Andy Royer, the same judge had issued an order finding that allegations of “systemic misconduct” by police and prosecutors in Elkhart County were “defamatory” — even before hearing any evidence in the case. The judge subsequently dismissal from Mr. Royer's case, and in 2021, Mr. Royer was exonerated.

Ms. Seabolt, Mr. Dillard, Mr. Tyson and Mr. Robinson argued that the judge should also recuse herself from their cases, as she did in Mr. Royer's case, because they had made similar allegations of police and prosecutorial misconduct in Elkhart County. The judge refused, and the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed her decision. The EJC then petitioned the Indiana Supreme Court to take over all four cases.

The Indiana Supreme Court consolidated the cases and held oral arguments last January. Rob Hochmann, a partner at Sidley Austin LLP who served as co-counsel to the EJC on appeal, argued the case. In a ruling released last Tuesday, the Indiana Supreme Court then reversed the Indiana Court of Appeals' decision and ordered Judge Cataldo to recuse herself in all four cases, clearing the way for EJC clients' cases to be heard by a fair and impartial judge.

Professor Jimmy Gurulé, Founder and Director of the Exoneration Justice Clinic at Notre Dame Law School, said: “This is a major legal victory for the EJC and will allow us to hear our clients' claims of actual innocence before an impartial judge. Our EJC clients are one step closer to rehabilitation and regaining their freedom.”

The result was the product of years of hard work by EJC staff and students. EJC filed its first motion to dismiss in these cases in May 2021—more than three years ago. During that time, several EJC students were involved in every phase of litigation, from arguing for dismissal before the trial judge to drafting appellate briefs to preparing for oral arguments before the Indiana Supreme Court.

EJC attorney Kevin Murphy said: “This result would never have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our students who fought to ensure that our clients could one day stand before a fair and impartial court.”

For more information about the Law School’s Exoneration Justice Clinic, visit exoneration.nd.edu.