A man convicted as a teen of murdering his 10-year-old brother will get a new sentencing hearing after the Indiana Court of Appeals found his representation “wholly deficient” at his first sentencing hearing that led to his sentence to life without parole.
A bill that would allow the Indiana attorney general to step in if local elected prosecutors decline to file criminal charges narrowly passed a Senate committee Tuesday without the support of public defenders or Indiana prosecutors. A longtime advocate said when both sides in criminal matters oppose legislation, lawmakers should take notice.
After the protests this summer that led to the destruction or defacement of monuments nationwide, a bill designed to protect Indiana’s historical markers is advancing in the Indiana Legislature.
The Indiana Supreme Court on Tuesday summarily affirmed a Court of Appeals decision remanding an improper sentence imposed in a drug case but rejected a convict’s argument that he was wrongly denied his request for a speedy trial.
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.
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.
Filings for child in need of services and termination of parental rights cases have swung in opposite directions in the past few years, according to statistics released recently by the Indiana Supreme Court.
A 38-year-old inmate at the Marion County Jail has died after alleged assault by another inmate, authorities said Sunday.
More than six years after sweeping criminal code reforms were enacted in Indiana, a section of the Indiana State Bar Association is calling for additional sentencing reforms to establish parity with those who received longer sentences before the reforms were enacted.
A recent survey of nearly 1,100 young lawyers found that many new attorneys are making major financial, personal and career sacrifices as a result of their student loans. That includes decisions ranging from marriage and children to making big purchases or taking vacations. The survey hits home for many young Indiana lawyers.
The Indiana Public Defender Commission last month released an analysis of caseloads in Indiana, showing disparities between actual and ideal workloads. That data has led public defense experts to one conclusion: there’s still work to be done to ensure indigent Hoosiers receive quality defense.
Caseload standards imposed by the Indiana Public Defender Commission are likely higher than the caseloads public defenders should carry, meaning current practices do not give public defenders sufficient time to provide effective representation.
Although many may be skeptical of parents whose children are removed from their care, statistics show that nearly 67% of Hoosier youths exit foster care and are successfully reunited with their moms and dads. Those stories of resilience inspired the Marion Superior Court Juvenile Division and the Marion County Public Defender Agency to celebrate National Reunification Month for the first time in Indiana.
A study by the Indiana Public Defender Commission is highlighting what officials say is a flawed system that encourages contract public defenders to increase their private caseload to cover their overhead costs, which eat the bulk of the compensation they receive for representing indigent defendants.
A sweeping majority of the nation’s federal public defenders – including for the Southern District of Indiana – are calling with a unified voice for reforms of a criminal justice system they say “turns a blind eye to oppressive structural racism.”
From Bob Hammerle’s standpoint, his daily hours of working in his gardens amid the coronavirus pandemic have allowed him to reflect on the role movies have played in shaping his life.
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is asking the Indiana Supreme Court to decline a request to use its rulemaking authority to order the release of inmates vulnerable to the novel coronavirus.
An Illinois man who pleaded guilty in a string of Indiana bank robberies pulled off while he wore wigs and fake beards as disguises has been sentenced to 40 years in prison.
New court-related legislation has been signed into law in Indiana, giving judges guidance on indigency determinations and setting the statewide cap for small claims dispute awards at $8,000.
A northwestern Indiana judge has approved a new attorney for a man who wants to seek a mistrial after being convicted in a sledgehammer attack that wounded another man outside of a school.