Reversal tosses Kokomo officer’s stalking protective order
A Kokomo police officer lost her protective order against a man she alleged was stalking her after the Indiana Court of Appeals found there was insufficient evidence to support the claims.
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AG Hill joins Indiana as amicus against ‘subjective’ handgun permitting
Indiana Attorney General Hill has signed the state on to an amicus brief urging the United States Supreme Court to take a case that could decide the constitutionality of may-issue firearm permits requiring citizens to meet subjective standards to publicly carry a weapon.
Elkhart officer wants change of venue for battery trial
An Elkhart police officer charged with battery of a suspect is asking for his case to be moved to another county so he can receive a fair trial. Joshua Titus asked Elkhart Superior Judge Charles Wicks to move his trial to Noble County.
Ambiguous weight limit statute leads to infraction reversal
The ambiguity of a state statute means a man performing farm drainage work in Henry County did not commit an infraction by driving his heavy equipment on a state highway, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled. However, the court noted its ruling was limited specifically to the facts of the instant case and was not an opinion on how the ambiguity might affect other circumstances.
South Bend police wiretapping dispute continues
A long-running dispute over wiretapping within an Indiana police department will continue and could go to trial after city officials rejected a proposed agreement with officers who want to block the tapes’ release. The South Bend Common Council last week unanimously voted to reject any settlement agreement that may have been reached in mediation.
IMPD detective must stand trial on false affidavit in murder
An Indianapolis police detective who knowingly falsified information in an affidavit that led to the imprisonment of a man charged with murdering his elderly mother lost an appeal Tuesday and must face the falsely accused man’s civil lawsuit.
Gary woman settles lawsuit over jailing due to mistaken identity
A northwest Indiana woman who alleged she was wrongfully jailed for nearly two months in a case of mistaken identity has reached a $6,000 settlement in the case. Court records show Gloria J. Blue of Gary also will get attorneys’ fees as part of this month’s settlement.
Police seek help in Indiana woman’s unsolved 1997 killing
State police are seeking the public's help in solving a cold case — the 1997 murder of a Shelbyville woman.
Unnamed IMPD officers sued for destroying homeless camp
A suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana on behalf of homeless clients alleges two as-yet unidentified Indianapolis police officers unlawfully seized and destroyed the belongings of five homeless individuals who had been living under a railroad bridge.
Elkhart mayor names new police chief after resignation
The mayor of Elkhart has named a new permanent replacement for a police chief who resigned under fire. Mayor Tim Neese on Friday named 21-year police veteran Chris Snyder to replace Ed Windbigler, who resigned Dec. 10.
US soldier charged in wife’s killing flees to Thailand
A 21-year-old U.S. soldier is accused of flying to Indianapolis from Colorado to kill his estranged wife, then dumping her body in a trash bin and fleeing to Thailand.
State police: No video of man’s killing by trooper
Relatives of a man fatally shot by an Indiana State trooper near Crawfordsville are demanding answers after police said there was no body or dash camera video of what led up to last week’s shooting along a western Indiana highway.
COA: Consecutive sentences not inappropriate for ‘independent and distinct’ charges
A man arrested for drug-related charges who later received additional charges under a separate cause failed to convince an Indiana Court of Appeals panel that a trial court abused its discretion by ordering his second sentence to be served consecutively to the first.
COA reverses one of multiple firearm convictions on double jeopardy grounds
An Indianapolis man who was found guilty of multiple crimes following a single traffic stop has gotten some relief after the Indiana Court of Appeals tossed one of the convictions because it violated double jeopardy principles.
Prosecutors concede 3 Buncich convictions should be vacated
Federal prosecutors concede there wasn’t enough evidence to convict former Lake County Sheriff John Buncich on three of the five wire fraud counts he was found guilty of and he should be resentenced. Prosecutors say they failed to introduce sufficient evidence of “Federal reserve payroll fund” transfers alleged in three counts of the indictment against Buncich and “the Court should vacate Buncich’s convictions on those counts.”
Records: Probe of Indiana’s AG cost taxpayers at least $26K
An investigation into allegations that Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill drunkenly groped four women at a party last March cost taxpayers at least $26,300, according to records obtained through open records requests. The bulk of the expenses, $17,861, came from the office of Inspector General Lori Torres, which opened its inquiry after requests by Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb and legislative leadership.
IMPD officers sued for destroying homeless camp
The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed a lawsuit Wednesday against two as yet unidentified Indianapolis police officers, alleging they unlawfully seized and destroyed the belongings of five homeless individuals who had been living under a railroad bridge.
Supreme Court to travel, invites amici in smartphone privacy case
The Indiana Supreme Court will hit the road early next year to hear oral argument in a first impression case involving smartphone privacy. Justices also have invited amicus parties in the case as they seek to determine whether law enforcement can force a woman to unlock her phone as part of a criminal investigation.
Ex-officers’ wiretap lawsuit against Pittsboro police advances
A lawsuit by former officers against Pittsboro police claiming the department secretly recorded their conversations in violation of federal wiretapping laws will proceed, a federal judge has ruled.
15-month prison term for Porter Co. cop who stole from police group
The former treasurer of a Valparaiso police organization has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for stealing nearly $190,000. Lawrence LaFlower told a federal judge Monday that “everything revolved around gambling,” which is why he began embezzling money from Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 165 in Valparaiso.