Articles

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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Proposal to decriminalize marijuana in Gary fails by 1 vote

A proposal to decriminalize marijuana in Gary fell one vote short of passage amid concerns that it would overstep Indiana law. Councilwoman Lavetta Sparks-Wade said she abstained from voting because the council’s attorney advised the council that it would circumvent state law.

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Study committee to return spotlight to DCS

While the firestorm over the Indiana Department of Child Services has died down, the Indiana General Assembly is preparing to begin its examination of the agency and possibly make recommendations for action during the 2019 legislative session. The Interim Study Committee on Courts and the Judiciary is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Room 431 of the Statehouse to review a host of issues related to DCS.

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Indiana’s sheriffs push for more funding to house felons

Indiana’s sheriffs say they need more state money to cover the costs of holding low-level nonviolent felons in county jails. Indiana’s county jails currently get a $35 per-day payment for every Level 6 felon they house. But it’s been at least 30 years since that amount changed, according to the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association.

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Indiana’s election security plans don’t include new machines

Indiana’s top elections official is planning to use more than $7.5 million in federal funding to improve the state’s election security, but not to upgrade its voting machines. Indiana was among the states and territories to receive money from the $380 million approved by Congress amid ongoing threats from Russia and others.

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Prosecutors cite ethics rules to Hill in abortion lawsuit

Three Indiana prosecutors are renewing their calls for Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill to concede on their behalf the merits of lawsuit that blocked a 2018 abortion law and told the AG's staff in an email that Hill is obligated under the Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct to follow their directive as his clients. Hill, however, maintains he is authorized to defend the statute on behalf of his "ultimate client:" the people of Indiana.

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