Legal misfire: Is it a crime for minors to possess guns?
A 1990s Indiana law that raised penalties for juveniles who possess guns has backfired, limiting the charging options for law enforcement when children have firearms.
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Indiana prosecutor defends attending Jan. 6 Trump rally in Washington
Dearborn and Ohio Counties Prosecutor Lynn Deddens has posted a letter on social media, acknowledging she was at the rally for President Donald Trump on Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C. and saying she left before the assault began on the U.S. Capitol Building.
Despite riot, impeachment, business as usual for high court
At this fraught moment in American history, the Supreme Court of the United States is doing its best to keep its head down, going about its regular business and putting off as many politically charged issues as it can, including whether President Donald Trump’s tax returns must be turned over to prosecutors in New York.
Supreme Court launches pretrial diversion pilot program
A pretrial pilot program aimed at preserving judicial resources has been launched in four Indiana counties. The pilot will allow prosecutors to offer pretrial diversion to defendants charged with a variety of low-level offenses.
Indianapolis man sentenced for threatening, sending dead rat to ex-wife
An Indianapolis man has been sentenced to four years and 10 months in federal prison for threatening his ex-wife over several years and mailing a dead rat to her Florida home. Prosecutors said the man had engaged in a four-year-long campaign of harassment against his ex-wife.
Justices urged to clear Putnam Co. prosecutor over undisclosed testimony deal
The elected Putnam County prosecutor should not be disciplined for accusations that he failed to disclose a deal for testimony from a witness who claimed he was wrongly identified, placing him in danger behind bars as a “snitch.” The hearing officer in Timothy Bookwalter’s attorney discipline case said the prosecutor violated no rules, should not be punished and urged the Indiana Supreme Court to re-examine the ethical duties of prosecutors.
Man gets 115 years for killing Goshen professor, wounding wife
An Indiana man has been sentenced to 115 years in prison for fatally stabbing a Goshen College professor and leaving the man’s wife with nearly two dozen stab wounds during a home invasion in 2011.
DOJ: Operation Legend yields 94 violent crime arrests in Indy
Almost 100 individuals accused of violent crime in Indianapolis have been arrested and charged through a federal program designed to decrease violence across major U.S. cities, the Department of Justice has announced.
Acting to ensure integrity: New prosecutor’s unit to investigate wrongful conviction claims
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears announced this month that his office will establish the Conviction Integrity Unit in early 2021 to prevent, identify and correct wrongful convictions. The new unit will consist of one attorney, an investigator and a paralegal and be the first of its kind in Indiana, according to the National Registry of Exonerations.
Huntington Co. prosecutor to lead prosecutors’ association in 2021
Huntington County Prosecutor Amy Richison will serve as president of the Association of Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Inc. in 2021, the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council has announced.
Madison Co. council member charged with child pornography, solicitation
A member of a central Indiana county council was charged Monday with child solicitation and possession of child pornography.
Split COA tosses habitual offender enhancement after car theft, police chase
A man convicted on multiple charges related to a stolen vehicle and a police chase did not convince the Indiana Court of Appeals to overturn his unlawful possession of a firearm conviction, though a majority of judges did toss his habitual offender enhancement. A dissenting judge, however, would have let the enhancement stand.
Police say Wabash man killed by officer didn’t fire shots
Investigators have determined that a man fatally shot by Huntington police officers didn’t fire any shots as they originally believed, state police said.
Bell named acting US attorney for Northern District
Gary T. Bell has been named the acting United States attorney for the Northern District of Indiana following the confirmation of former Northern District Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Trucker in I-69 crash that killed 3 won’t be charged
A truck driver who caused a chain-reaction crash along a northeastern Indiana highway that killed a Michigan couple and another person will not face criminal charges in that crash, a prosecutor said.
Authorities: Video contradicts account of murder suspect’s escape
Video of a murder suspect’s escape from a security company’s transport van contradicts the driver’s story that the man jumped through an open window while the vehicle was stopped at a McDonald’s in Indiana, authorities say.
3 finalists named to replace retiring Marion Superior Judge Borges
The names of three nominees vying to fill an upcoming Marion County judicial vacancy — two magistrate judges and a deputy prosecutor — have been announced.
Trump asking about special prosecutor for Hunter Biden
President Donald Trump is considering pushing to have a special counsel appointed to advance a federal tax investigation into the son of President-elect Joe Biden, setting up a potential showdown with incoming acting attorney general Jeffrey Rosen.
Kirsch confirmed to 7th Circuit
Thomas Kirsch II has been confirmed to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on a 51-44 vote in the U.S. Senate. Kirsch succeeds Amy Coney Barrett after her confirmation to the United States Supreme Court.
Marion County prosecutor plans conviction integrity unit
The Marion County prosecutor says he will establish a conviction integrity unit in early 2021 to correct wrongful convictions in Indiana’s most populous county.