Dave Stafford joined the staff of the Indiana Lawyer as a reporter in May 2012. A print journalist for more than 25 years, he has won numerous awards as a reporter and editor for newspapers in Indiana, including the Anderson Herald Bulletin, where he was named Journalist of the Year in 2010. He most recently was a copy editor for the Daily Journal of Johnson County in Franklin.

Stafford and his wife, Denise, returned to their home state of Indiana in 2009, after career opportunities provided agreeable changes of scenery. Stafford worked almost 10 years at The Daytona Beach News-Journal in Florida, serving in such positions as copy editor, page designer and city editor. After a move to more temperate climates, he worked for five years as a copy editor at the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Richmond, Va.

Stafford studied journalism at IUPUI. He also is an experienced freelance creative writer; film, music and book critic; and advertising copywriter.

Lengthy gun sentence affirmed in 2011 hotel standoff

May 20, 2013

A federal prison sentence of more than 33 years was upheld Monday for a career criminal convicted of leading police on a chase, assaulting an officer until he lost consciousness and staging an armed, four-hour standoff at an Indianapolis hotel in August 2011.

Appeals panel voids gun conviction, cuts child porn sentence

May 20, 2013

An Indianapolis man sentenced to 11 years in prison for possession of child pornography and a felony gun charge had his most serious conviction vacated and his sentence reduced to no more than four years.

Court rules county may re-establish hospital building fund

May 20, 2013

Jasper County was improperly denied the ability to establish a cumulative building fund and tax levy to enlarge and remodel a hospital, the Indiana Tax Court ruled.

7th Circuit orders resentencing, muses ‘wine speaks truth’ in felon gun case

May 20, 2013

An Elkhart felon’s defense that he was drunk at the time he told police that guns they confiscated from his girlfriend’s apartment belonged to him failed to sway the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, which did find another error and order him to be resentenced.

Lawyer who emailed nude film clip to harm ex-intern suspended 3 years

May 20, 2013

Indianapolis attorney Arthur J. Usher IV’s rejected romantic advances toward a summer intern led him to have his paralegal email more than 50 attorneys a video clip purporting to depict the former intern nude in a film, according to the Indiana Supreme Court. Usher’s bid to discredit and humiliate her while she was seeking employment resulted in a three-year suspension on Friday.

Judges restate: no guns in City-County Building

May 17, 2013

A 2007 order banning guns and weapons from the Indianapolis City-County Building that houses most of Marion County’s Circuit and Superior courts remains in force despite questions raised after the Indiana Legislature widely voided local gun regulations.