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The Indiana Supreme Court granted transfer Thursday to three cases involving a murder conviction, a request for post-conviction
relief, and the appointment of counsel for a mother involved in a termination proceeding.
In James A. Carr v. State of Indiana, No. 25S04-1004-CR-219, James Carr appealed his murder
conviction, which the Indiana Court of Appeals upheld. The appellate court held that Carr’s proceedings didn’t
violate the speedy-trial provisions of Indiana Criminal Rule 4; Carr’s confession to law enforcement was not procured
in violation of his Miranda rights; the trial court did not err by prohibiting cross-examination into Carr’s level of
intoxication during his custodial interrogation; and the court did not err by refusing to instruct the jury on various lesser-included
offenses.
In State of Indiana v. Craig Cooper, No. 49S02-1004-PC-220, the appellate court affirmed
the grant of Cooper’s request for post-conviction relief. He showed the requisite prejudice because he wouldn’t
have pleaded guilty to the charged offense of operating a vehicle while an habitual traffic violator had he known there was
no basis for that charge. He was prejudiced by the inadequate factual basis that was presented at the guilty plea hearing.
Judge Margret Robb dissented because she didn’t believe Cooper demonstrated he was prejudiced by the error.
In Termination of parent-child relationship of I.B.; M.L. v. IDCS, No. 03S05-1004-JV-218,
the Court of Appeals affirmed the denial of the motion to appoint counsel to appeal the termination of mother M.L.’s
parental relationship with I.B. Mother failed to carry her burden as an indigent person to show the trial court she met the
statutory requirements for the appointment of counsel. She didn’t even request the appellate counsel representation;
her trial counsel did.
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