2 found fatally shot after police standoff in Fishers
Police in suburban Indianapolis say they found a man and a woman fatally shot after a lengthy standoff in which shots were fired at officers.
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US Supreme Court rules states can bar insanity defense
The Supreme Court of the United States ruled Monday that states can prevent criminal defendants from pleading insanity without violating their constitutional rights. The decision could prompt states across the country to toughen standards for defendants who wish to plead not guilty by reason of insanity.
7th Circuit affirms convictions in Walmart robberies
Two men who robbed and stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from Indiana Walmart stores could not convince the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday that there was insufficient evidence to support their convictions.
Elkhart considers new $500K legal bill for suit over overturned conviction
A northern Indiana city is weighing spending another $500,000 to defend itself against a lawsuit filed by a man whose attempted murder conviction was thrown out because prosecutors didn’t disclose that the state’s sole eyewitness underwent hypnosis to sharpen his memory.
Judge asked to reconsider double-murder suspect’s release
Prosecutors want a northwestern Indiana judge to reconsider his decision to release a man accused in the fatal shootings of a Gary woman and her 13-year-old son, calling him a “substantial” threat to the public.
Fort Wayne man exonerates teen co-defendant in fatal shooting
A northeastern Indiana man who pleaded guilty in an October killing told a judge before he was sentenced that a teenage co-defendant played no role in the slaying.
US Courts report drop in appellate filings, increase in immigration defendants
Prosecutions against immigrant defendants and cases involving diversity of citizenship saw higher numbers last year, according to the United States Courts’ Annual Report and Court Statistics for 2019. Meanwhile, appellate filings dropped nationwide.
After controversy, juvenile justice review effort begins
In the middle of the General Assembly’s 2020 session, as youth advocates were fighting proposed legislation that would have allowed preteens to be charged as adults for certain crimes, the Commission on Improving the Status of Children in Indiana took a step toward comprehensive juvenile justice reform.
Conviction affirmed for intoxicated woman found in parked, running vehicle
The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed the conviction of a woman who was found intoxicated in her running but parked vehicle, finding sufficient evidence to support that she was operating the vehicle at the time law enforcement found her.
7th Circuit: Mother’s sentence, restitution order affirmed in child porn case
A Hammond woman convicted for possession of child porn will keep her enhanced sentence and restitution order after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the rulings in her case Friday.
3 Muncie officers indicted in federal excessive force cases
Three Muncie police officers have been charged in connection with the use of excessive force during arrests and attempts to cover it up.
Man gets 50 years in Indianapolis doctor’s 2017 killing
A 19-year-old man who pleaded guilty in the fatal shooting of a prominent Indianapolis doctor was sentenced to 50 years in prison after telling a judge that he “got railroaded.”
COA affirms charges brought under new cause number
The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed the denial of a man’s motion to dismiss charges brought against him in a new cause after the state sought to refile the case to tidy up the record, finding no abuse of discretion in the decision.
Reversal: Orange County man’s child molesting conviction improperly elevated
The Indiana Court of Appeals has ordered a man convicted of child molesting resentenced. The panel found his felony conviction was improperly elevated and cautioned the trial court regarding consideration of his uncharged allegations on remand.
US Supreme Court rejects ex-cop’s appeal of rape convictions
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal for a former Oklahoma City police officer convicted of sexually assaulting black women he encountered while patrolling the city’s low-income neighborhoods.
Man’s 6-year sentence affirmed in fatal teen car wreck case
While hanging out one evening at a playground in 2017, five Indianapolis teenagers got into an argument with two women nearby who were searching for a drone owned by Daniel Cannon. When asked if they wanted to fight, the teens got back into their vehicle, drove toward the women as if to hit them, and then moved on to the street.
Justices split on denial of transfer to med-mal wrongful death case
The Indiana Supreme Court has split in the denial of transfer in a case involving a fatal altercation between a psychiatric patient and a caregiver, with two justices dissenting from the holding that ensuing wrongful-death litigation should be brought under the Medical Malpractice Act.
7th Circuit: Collateral-attack waivers in plea deals defeat firearms appeals
Two men claiming their firearms convictions should be invalidated after a 2019 Supreme Court ruling failed to find relief at the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled that collateral-attack waivers in their plea agreements were valid and thus defeated their challenges to their convictions and sentences.
COA upholds sentence for man who repeatedly stabbed wife
A Lake County man who stabbed repeatedly stabbed his wife did not convince the Indiana Court of Appeals on Wednesday that his nearly 30-year sentence for the crime was inappropriate.
Justices to hear arguments at UIndy next month
The Indiana Supreme Court is once again taking its oral arguments on the road, announcing plans to hear a case at the University of Indianapolis next month.