Articles

Indiana lawmakers move forward on legal sports gambling

Indiana could join several states in legalizing sports betting following a committee’s unanimous recommendation that lawmakers consider the change. The Interim Study Committee on Public Policy voted this month to recommend legislation to bring legal sports betting to Indiana.

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Suit against Hill could cost taxpayers; accusers to name state

The Indiana Attorney General’s Office is now in the process of investigating a complaint filed against it, the state and Attorney General Curtis Hill after four women who publicly accused Hill of groping them at a party filed official notice of a civil lawsuit. If the women succeed on their claims against state defendants, taxpayers could be on the hook to pay any judgments.

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Bosma: GOP lawmaker home, recovering after crash

Indiana’s House speaker says a top-ranking Republican lawmaker is recovering at home more than a month after a serious motorcycle accident in Michigan. Speaker Brian Bosma said in a statement Thursday that House Ways and Means Chairman Tim Brown is in therapy and continues to improve.

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No criminal charges, but AG Hill faces suits from accusers

After the special prosecutor announced his decision Tuesday not to bring charges against Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill, the four women who have accused the state’s top lawyer of sexual misconduct stepped into the public spotlight together and said they are not done fighting.

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Report: AG Hill’s behavior ‘creepy’ but not criminal

A 25-page report released by the Indiana Office of the Inspector General on Tuesday shines a light on the fallout from groping allegations against Attorney General Curtis Hill, including new allegations that he inappropriately touched four lobbyists in addition to the four women who previously accused him.

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AG Hill to continue to serve despite likely suits by accusers

Facing the prospect of lawsuits from four women he is accused of groping, embattled Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill vowed through his legal team Tuesday to stay in office. A special prosecutor Tuesday declined to criminally charge Hill but said the AG admitted he consumed a significant amount of alcohol and touched his accusers the night of the alleged incidents.

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No charges against AG Hill, but lawmaker, victims to sue

While a special prosecutor Tuesday morning said he would file no criminal charges against Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill on allegations he groped four women, the prosecutor said Hill admitted that he consumed a significant amount of alcohol and admitted to touching the alleged victims, who said Tuesday they intend to sue Hill and the state.

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Many Indiana counties face jail crowding with inmate shift

Taxpayers in dozens of Indiana counties will be paying for new jail beds years after sweeping state criminal code changes began sending more low-level offenders into local jails instead of state prisons. At least 40 jails in Indiana are over capacity, and a recent state survey found that almost half of all jail inmates are Level 6 felons, the lowest-level felons.

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Legal aid groups cast wider net to diversify funding

The Indiana Supreme Court is preparing to ask for an increase in civil legal aid funding when the Indiana General Assembly convenes for the 2019 session. The request will come as legal aid nonprofits try to diversify their donor base while looking for new ways to help the steady flow of people in need.

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Public Defender Commission announces legislative priorities

The Indiana Public Defender Commission has announced plans to begin a legislative effort intended to stir statewide public defense reform, a decision that comes on the heels of a task force report that highlighted shortcomings in the Hoosier indigent defense system.

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Sheriffs, public defense task force shine spotlight on jail overcrowding

The work of law enforcement has changed dramatically in the last 30 years. But in Indiana, one aspect of local law enforcement has not: the per diem local jails receive to house, feed and transport inmates. Currently the state allocates a $35 per day, but the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association has announced plans to advocate for raising that amount to $55.

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