ACLU files Wabash County Jail overcrowding suit
Raising allegations of unconstitutional conditions, the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana has filed a lawsuit against Wabash County for “chronic” jail overcrowding.
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Lake County man charged in stabbing attack on his grandparents
The grandmother of a northwestern Indiana man charged in a knife attack on her and her husband said it was like a “horror movie” when their grandson allegedly grabbed a butcher knife and began stabbing them. Nicholas Powers, 22, is charged with two counts each of attempted murder and battery, along with other charges, in the Jan. 28 attack near the town of Dyer.
Suspended lawyer accused of thefts from disabled clients jailed on warrant
A suspended Greenwood lawyer accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from disabled and injured clients whose special-needs trusts he established and then allegedly used for his own purposes is in jail in Muncie, where he may remain until standing trial on criminal charges around the state. Kenneth “Shane” Service, 46, was booked into the Delaware County Jail on Thursday, according to jail records.
Risk assessments for booked inmates take effect statewide
A new Indiana rule requiring that booked inmates be assessed to determine risks or benefits of releasing them before trial is expected to eventually reduce overcrowding at the state’s county jails, criminal justice officials say.
New pretrial release rule adds risk assessments for booked inmates
A new Indiana rule requiring that booked inmates be assessed to determine risks or benefits of releasing them before trial is expected to eventually reduce overcrowding at the state’s county jails, criminal justice officials say. Criminal Rule 26, which set Indiana’s new pretrial release protocols, was adopted by the Indiana Supreme Court in 2017, but it didn’t take effect statewide until Jan. 1.
Judge: Muncie man charged in 2018 murders to act as own attorney
An Indiana man charged in the 2018 slayings of two people found in a nature preserve and an abandoned farmhouse will act as his own attorney, a judge has ruled. Madison Circuit Court 6 Judge Mark Dudley granted Daniel Lee Jones’ request to act as his own lawyer, but his public defender will serve as stand-by counsel during the trial.
Justices agree to hear extended expungement-wait case
Indiana Supreme Court justices have agreed to hear a case that sharply divided an appellate panel concerning whether minor felonies reduced to misdemeanor convictions should trigger new five-year waiting periods for individuals seeking a criminal expungement.
Investigation underway after man dies at Wayne Co. jail
Indiana authorities are investigating the death of a man being held at a county jail on Saturday. Wayne County Sheriff Randy Retter said in a news release that 57-year-old Dean Lamb collapsed Saturday afternoon in the jail.
2 northwest Indiana men charged with arson killing
Two northwestern Indiana men have been charged with murder and arson in the death of a third man in a house fire, Indiana State Police said Thursday.
‘Children are children’: Coalition forms after legislative attempt to lower waiver age
The Children’s Policy and Law Initiative of Indiana and more than 20 nonprofits and community groups have joined together to form the Indiana Coalition for Youth Justice, which advocates for reform in the juvenile justice system so that it offers treatment, programs and interventions that are age-appropriate, fairly applied and result in the best possible outcomes for Indiana children and public safety.
Courts as conveners: Task force led by Rush releases recommendations for judicial response to opioid crisis
The National Judicial Opioid Task Force was created in 2017 to delve into ways the judiciary could get a handle on the opioid crisis. Co-chaired by Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush, the task force’s work culminated late last month in the release of a report that includes four findings and six recommendations for how courts can respond to the current drug scourge and be better prepared for the next addiction crisis.
10 Clark Co. inmates charged in alleged jail drug-smuggling scheme
Ten inmates at a southern Indiana jail are charged in an alleged scheme that authorities say used codes to help smuggle drugs into the jail. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office says the inmates worked with an outside contact who picked up drugs and hid them in the jail’s lobby, which inmates cleaned.
St. Joseph County settles mistreatment suit by ex-jail inmate
A northern Indiana county has settled for $2,000 a lawsuit filed by former jail inmate who alleged he was improperly treated.
New law gives moms, dads behind bars hope in TPR cases
Christina Kovats and Kristina Byers previously served time at the Indiana Women’s Prison, and this year they became advocates who worked to draft Indiana legislation aimed at dismantling the black-and-white mentality regarding termination of parental rights for incarcerated mothers. A new law now gives judges discretion in TPR cases involving parents behind bars.
Disabled man’s unexplained injuries spark lawsuit against Marion County Jail
An intellectually disabled Indianapolis man who suffered unexplained injuries and allegedly was not given his medication while incarcerated in the Marion County Jail has filed a lawsuit against the Marion County Sheriff’s office, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and several individual officers and staff.
7th Circuit: Marion County sheriff not liable for overdetaining inmate
Although the Marion County Sheriff’s remedy failed to fix a glitch between two different computer systems and caused an inmate to be detained longer than the court had ordered, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the law enforcement agency and the city of Indianapolis were not deliberately indifferent.
Noblesville school bus aide pleads guilty to battery after slapping child in wheelchair
A former Noblesville school bus aid has pleaded guilty to battery charges and will now serve 10 days in prison for slapping a non-verbal, wheelchair bound child in her care.
Hamilton County Jail program aims to connect inmates with jobs, mentors
The Hamilton County Jail’s Transitioning Opportunities for Work, Education & Reality — or TOWER — mentoring program, which was launched in January, provides inmates with a mentor who can help connect them to resources in the community. But perhaps most importantly, it also aims to help inmates find work.
Judge won’t dismiss case on wages of immigrant detainees
Washington state’s effort to force a privately run immigration jail to pay its detainees minimum wage for work they perform can continue after all, a federal judge in Tacoma ruled Wednesday.
Panelists urge counties to keep ‘open mind’ on pretrial release reform
Stakeholders from around Indiana shared experiences and expectations regarding pretrial release reform as the entire state moves toward a system less reliant on cash bail beginning in January.