Bill on competency to stand trial advances to full House vote
The full Indiana House of Representatives on Monday will take a final vote on a bill dealing with the process of determining whether a defendant is competent to stand trial.
Rep. Wendy McNamara
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Competent to stand trial? Competency evaluations under spotlight in Indiana courts, Legislature
Attorneys and judicial officers in Indiana are seeing a rise in competency evaluation requests, along with an increase in mental health needs throughout the criminal justice system.
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Web Exclusive: IN Supreme Court introduces proposed GAL guidelines that advocates say are ‘long overdue’
Guardians ad litem have been part of civil family law cases for decades, but there have never been any formal guidelines for the role of a GAL in the Indiana judicial system. The Indiana Supreme Court is taking steps to change that.
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Work in progress: Juvenile justice mental health, safety concerns addressed in new law
Concerns about the safety and well-being of Hoosier youth housed in juvenile justice facilities across the state have drawn attention from the U.S. Department of Justice on multiple occasions. Action was taken to remedy those concerns, but the root of the problem facing Indiana’s juvenile justice system is still wound in a tangled mess that lawmakers and juvenile advocates are trying to unravel.
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Articles
House committee endorses bill that would dismiss low-level charges for ‘incompetent’ defendants
The Indiana House Committee on Courts and Criminal Code has given its support to a bill that would dismiss low-level charges if the defendant is found incompetent to stand trial.
Indiana lawmakers hear, but don’t vote on, bill decriminalizing marijuana
A bill decriminalizing the possession of two ounces or less of marijuana received a hearing before a House committee Wednesday but isn’t expected to get additional consideration.
Members appointed to new juvenile justice reform committee
The Indiana Supreme Court has named the members of the new Youth Justice Oversight Committee, which will focus on reforming the state’s juvenile justice system to prioritize minors who are at a higher risk of reoffending.
Indiana House committee strikes Senate’s attempt to ban ‘marijuana light’
Lawmakers in the Indiana House nixed an effort by some Senate Republicans to ban the sale of a popular derivative of hemp at levels that can give users a high.
House Courts and Criminal Code Committee to hear sentencing bills
A trio of Republican Indiana House bills will be heard before the Courts and Criminal Code Committee on Monday, including two pieces of legislation focused on sentencing.