Indianapolis man gets 110 years in 2017 double-slaying
An Indianapolis man who was arrested in Texas after fleeing charges in a double-killing has been sentenced to 110 years in prison.
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Majority justices remand drug sentence to determine treatment eligibility
A woman who has yet to receive court-ordered substance abuse treatment may soon receive it after the Indiana Supreme Court granted transfer to her case.
Probation sanction affirmed on ‘unduly harsh’ appeal
A man’s argument that the execution of a suspended sentence for a crime he committed while on probation was an unduly harsh sanction failed before the Indiana Court of Appeals.
Majority justices reduce drug sentence, order removal from DOC
Finding the circumstances of an Orange County case to be “exceptional,” a majority of the Indiana Supreme Court has reduced a woman’s sentence and ordered that she be removed from the Department of Correction and instead placed in community corrections. A dissenting justice would have denied transfer of the case.
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 split on amended sentence modification statute
In an opinion interpreting a sentence modification statute, a divided panel of Indiana Court of Appeals ruled that a trial court lacked authority to modify a sentence that was entered pursuant to a fixed plea agreement. The majority’s ruling contrasts with the panel’s earlier decision in the same case, which was revisited on remand from the Indiana Supreme Court after a legislative amendment last year.
SCOTUS to consider Indiana abortion, juvenile life cases in conference
Two cases from Indiana, including the controversial fetal remains disposal law, will be on the agenda when the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court meet for their next conference on Jan. 4, 2019.
Indiana man gets 80 years in prison for Fort Wayne girl’s 1988 killing
An Indiana man has been sentenced to 80 years in prison for the 1988 abduction, rape and killing of an 8-year-old girl. An Allen County judge sentenced 59-year-old John D. Miller, of Grabill, on Friday after Miller pleaded guilty to murder and child molestation charges in April Tinsley’s long-unsolved killing.
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.”
Justices take 2 cases, deny 18, split over 2
Indiana Supreme Court Justices granted transfer in two cases last week concerning a father convicted of killing his infant daughter with a pillow and a piecemeal child in need of services adjudication.
Judge’s rebuke of Flynn upends sentencing, prolongs case
A federal judge who described himself as disgusted by Michael Flynn’s behavior upended a straightforward sentencing hearing Tuesday, postponing punishment for President Donald Trump’s first national security adviser and telling him in a stinging rebuke, “Arguably you sold your country out.”
Trump says he’s eager to sign sweeping criminal justice bill
The Senate passed a sweeping criminal justice bill Tuesday that addresses concerns that the nation’s war on drugs had led to the imprisonment of too many Americans for nonviolent crimes without adequately preparing them for their return to society.
Lawyer facing jail time for forgery, counterfeiting
A northern Indiana lawyer could be sentenced to nearly two years in jail after she pleaded guilty Tuesday to forging a judge’s name on a phony divorce decree and sending a bogus email bearing a deputy prosecutor’s name. Jill N. Holtzclaw of Decatur pleaded guilty to Level 6 felony counts of forgery and counterfeiting Tuesday in Adams Superior Court.
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.
On remand, divided COA again allows modification of fixed-plea sentence
A divided Indiana Court of Appeals has once again reversed a trial court ruling holding that a man sentenced pursuant to a fixed plea agreement could not seek a sentence modification, with the appellate court finding instead on remand that statutory amendments to laws governing fixed pleas are not applicable in this case.
A look at where the investigations related to Trump stand
President Donald Trump is facing criminal investigations in Washington and New York.Here’s a look at where the investigations related to Trump stand and what may lie ahead for him.
Indianapolis police major losing rank for defending convict
A high-ranking Indianapolis police officer is being stripped of his rank for writing a letter defending a man convicted of rape. Michael Jefferson had been a major who served in the command staffs of current police Chief Bryan Roach and his predecessor, but is being returned to the rank of lieutenant after writing a letter asking a judge for leniency when sentencing 58-year-old Lance Fleming, who was convicted in October of rape and attempted rape.
‘Dirty deeds’: Ex-Trump lawyer Cohen gets 3 years in prison
Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s one-time fixer, was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison for crimes that included arranging the payment of hush money to conceal his boss’ alleged sexual affairs, telling a judge that he agreed time and again to cover up Trump’s “dirty deeds” out of “blind loyalty.”
Elkhart couple sentenced in hit-and-run that killed 3
A northern Indiana couple has been sentenced in a hit-and-run crash that killed two children and a man. Leonard Grosswiler was sentenced to 15 years, with 10 years to be served in prison and the rest in community corrections and on probation, while Penelope Grosswiler received 2 ½ years, with six months suspended to probation, in connection with the deaths of 8-month-old Dolly Thomas, 11-year-old Courtney Smith and 22-year-old Shawn Wolcott.
Albion man pleads guilty in death of toddler
A 42-year-old Albion man has pleaded guilty to murder in the battering death of a 2½-year-old girl he was babysitting. Trevor Wert entered the plea last week in Noble Superior Court after admitting to striking Railee Ewing's head and face multiple times and kicking her in the buttocks as she was trying to leave a bathroom, sending her into the bathroom door frame.