Before 2014, it was a cut-and-dry issue: fixed-sentence plea agreements meant an offender would serve out the terms of their plea, with no chance to change it. But after 2014 legislation and a 2016 Indiana Court of Appeals decision, the Indiana Supreme Court must now decide whether such agreements may be modified.
Gov. Eric Holcomb on Friday extended the moratorium on seizures of CBD oil from retailers’ shelves — as well Indiana State Excise Police’s education period on products derived from cannabis — while lawmakers consider bills regulating those products.
A long-discussed civil forfeiture reform bill has cleared its first hurdle in the Indiana statehouse. The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday passed Senate Bill 99, which tightens due process procedures when prosecutors seek to confiscate property allegedly connected with crimes.
As judicial resources continue to be stretched thin across Hoosier courtrooms, the Indiana Senate has approved two measures that would provide relief for two Indiana counties.
A bill that would allow Hoosiers to purchase a marijuana-derived product over-the-counter from any retailer is headed to the full Senate floor.
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When a court accepts a fixed-sentence plea agreement, prosecutors and defenders alike say the long-standing practice has been for courts to uphold the exact terms of that sentence, absent an agreement between the parties. A recent Indiana Court of Appeals ruling, however, has seemingly put an end to that practice, leading to both a legislative and judicial review of the sentencing issue.
It’s no secret the ongoing opioid epidemic has ravaged nearly every corner of the Hoosier state, sending thousands to court on drug charges, ballooning the number of children in need of services and more. But even as the drug crisis strains Indiana’s judicial resources, Chief Justice Loretta Rush said new court programs and technology have positioned the judiciary to meet the crisis head-on and lead the state into a “hope-filled future.”
Two Statehouse Democrats from northwest Indiana know the cleanup of the contamination site in East Chicago will not only take years but also a steady state commitment. Their legislation — and affected residents’ federal court cases — aim to keep the issue in the spotlight.
Indiana’s historic Sunday sales legislation has cleared the Senate with a 39-10 vote.
Sen. Ron Alting, R-Lafayette, brought Senate Bill 1 before the full Senate for third reading on Monday, telling his Senate colleagues the measure is a clean bill that simply allows for Sunday carryout alcohol sales from noon to 8 p.m.
The Indiana Supreme Court will consider a sentence modification question that is also getting attention from the Indiana General Assembly when it hears oral arguments this week.
An Indiana Senate panel has advanced a bill what would set criteria for redrawing electoral districts. But the measure approved on an 8-0 vote Monday fell far short of a comprehensive redistricting overhaul that good government groups have sought for years.
The Indiana Senate has defeated an amendment that would have allowed for Sunday sales nearly all day in Indiana.
Indiana will likely remain the only state that restricts who can sell cold beer after a Senate panel voted Wednesday to uphold a closely guarded law that protects the interests of liquor stores.
The future of the sale of cannabidiol, or CBD, oil in Indiana remains unknown after an Indiana senator declined to call for a vote on two bills that would legalize the sale of the substance if certain specifications are met.
Emphasizing the economic as well as social benefits of hate crime laws, an energic and diverse crowd rallied inside the Indiana Statehouse Tuesday in support of two bills that would add penalties for crimes motivated by bias.
A bill that would change how Indiana’s courts treat out-of-state felonies during sentencing will come before the full Indiana House of Representatives for a vote Tuesday.
Some Indiana lawmakers are looking to consolidate township government in the state after multiple instances of corruption.
With two hate crime bills introduced in the Indiana Legislature this session, proponents are hoping the third time will be the charm for finally getting a measure to the governor’s desk. Advocates plan a rally at the Statehouse on Tuesday.
As state legislatures across the county take steps toward updating their sexual harassment policies, Republican lawmakers who dominate the Indiana General Assembly appear to be adopting a wait-and-see approach.