Justices to hear case in which glove DNA led to conviction

The Indiana Supreme Court will hear a case in which DNA found on a glove was the sole evidence that led to the conviction of a man on a burglary charge in St. Joseph County.

Justices granted transfer in Martin Meehan v. State of Indiana, 71A04-1209-CR-453. Convicted of Class C felony burglary and found to be a habitual criminal, Meehan succeeded in getting the conviction reversed at the Court of Appeals, which worried that the case could set a precedent in which criminals could frame other people simply by leaving at a crime scene a piece of evidence containing DNA.

Meehan is one of seven appeals to which the Supreme Court granted transfer for the week ending Aug. 16. Others are:

• Clark County Board of Aviation Commissioners v. Dennis Dreyer and Margo Dreyer as Co-Personal Representatives of the Estate of Margaret A. Dreyer,  10S01-1308-PL-529. The COA affirmed a judgment of $865,000 plus attorney’s fees for Dreyer in an eminent domain case stemming from the Clark County Airport’s acquisition of land for expansion.
•  Fayette County Board of Commissioners v. Howard Price, 21S04-1308-PL-530. The appeals panel affirmed denial of the board of commissioners’ motion for summary judgment after the trial court concluded that the board’s decision not to reappointment Price as director of highway operations was a quasi-judicial decision subject to judicial review.
• South Shore Baseball, LLC, d/b/a Gary South Shore Railcats, and Northwest Sports Venture, LLC v. Juanita DeJesus, 45S03-1308-CT-531. On interlocutory appeal, the COA granted summary judgment to South Shore against a woman’s claim for damages after she was hurt when struck by a foul ball as she attended a baseball game.
• Victor Ponce v. State of Indiana, 20S04-1308-PC-533. The Court of Appeals affirmed denial of a petition for post-conviction relief for Ponce, who pleaded guilty to Class A felony dealing cocaine.
• Bobby Alexander v. State of Indiana, 49S04-1308-CR-534. The Court of Appeals in May remanded conviction on two charges of Class B felony aggravated battery for a man convicted in two shootings to enter a restitution order within 30 days.
• In Re: The Adoption of: T.L. and T.L.; M.G. v. R.J. and E.J., 02S03-1308-AD-528. An adoption appeal in which a petition for rehearing at the Court of Appeals was denied.

Justices denied 23 requests for appeal. Transfer dispositions may be viewed here.