Articles

Justices split, find ‘jurisdictional gap’ in child molesting offense committed by minor who is now an adult

Neither the juvenile court nor the criminal court has jurisdiction over a man who allegedly committed child molesting while still a minor but whom the state did not attempt to criminally charge until he was over 21, creating a “jurisdictional gap” in cases where an offender ages out of the juvenile system, according to the Indiana Supreme Court. But the court’s majority holding was challenged by two dissenting justices, who argued the Indiana Legislature “would never have intended” for the alleged criminal act to go unpunished.

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JNC/JQC attorney picked to lead disciplinary commission

Adrienne Meiring, counsel for the Indiana Supreme Court’s Judicial Nominating/Qualifications Commission, has been named the executive director of the Disciplinary Commission. Her transition will begin immediately and a Supreme Court order will name her to the position.

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Majority justices uphold return of seized Land Rover that went to SCOTUS

After seven-plus years of litigation, the Indiana Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a Marion man seeking the return of his seized white Land Rover. The majority justices concluded Thursday that Tyson Timbs met his high burden of showing that the harshness of his vehicle’s forfeiture was grossly disproportionate to the gravity of his underlying drug dealing offense and culpability for the vehicle’s misuse.

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