Articles

Justices allow seizure, turnover of $60K in alleged drug money

The Indiana Supreme Court has upheld the seizure of $60,000 in cash believed to be drug money, finding the officer who intercepted the parcel holding the cash had probable cause to think the package was related to drug trafficking. The unanimous ruling also upholds the turnover of the cash to the federal government, though it doesn’t address whether the money will be forfeited. The Court of Appeals previously had ruled the seizure was unlawful.

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Report: Indiana opioid prescriptions fell by 35% since 2013

A national report says opioid prescriptions in Indiana have decreased by 35.1 percent over five years. The American Medical Association Opioid Task Force 2019 Progress Report shows Indiana’s reduction in opioid prescriptions from 2013 to 2018 is two percentage points higher than the national average of 33 percent.

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7th Circuit: Evidence found during unlawful drug raid still admissible

Convictions were affirmed for a man whose home was illegally searched by the Drug Enforcement Administration, which uncovered 10 pounds of methamphetamine inside. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found that although the DEA should have obtained a search warrant first, the evidence was still admissible.

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Illinois poised to be 11th state to allow recreational marijuana

Illinois is likely to become the 11th state to allow small amounts of marijuana for recreational use after the Democratic-controlled House on Friday sent a legalization plan to Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The move further isolates Indiana’s criminalization of marijuana nationally and among its neighboring states.

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Appeals panel upholds Muncie doctor’s convictions

The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed the forgery and prescription-related offenses for a Muncie doctor alleged to have overprescribed pain medication to patients by using his nurse practitioners’ names to sign the orders.

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Car search after meth dealer’s arrest divides COA panel

A suspected Morgan County meth dealer who pulled his truck into his driveway as police were executing a search warrant on his property failed to overturn his conviction on appeal, but a dissenting judge found a police search of his vehicle after he was arrested failed to “honor the distinction between homes and motor vehicles for purposes of search and seizure.”

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COA affirms termination of parent-child relationship

A drug-addicted mother couldn’t convince the Indiana Court of Appeals to reconsider the termination of her parent-child relationship with her young daughter after the panel concluded there was sufficient evidence to prove the removal was in the child’s best interests, even if some of it was admitted in error.

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ACLU report highlights Indiana’s prison problem

While acknowledging Indiana’s efforts to reform its criminal justice system has slowed the growth of the state’s prison population, a new report by the ACLU of Indiana asserts that additional reforms, including expanded access to treatment for mental health and substance abuse, could reduce the number of incarcerated by 50 percent and save Hoosier taxpayers more than $541 million by 2025.

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COA tosses convictions on new charges introduced at trial

A split Indiana Court of Appeals reversed four counts of a woman’s conviction, finding the trial court abused its discretion in allowing the state to amend the charging information without giving the defendant a “reasonable opportunity” to prepare and defend against the new counts.

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