Murder convictions ineligible for expungement, appeals court rules
An Indiana trial court properly denied expungement to an out-of-state inmate convicted of murder in Indiana, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled.
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1 of 2 arson convictions vacated for man who burned parole office
A man who set fire to a government building to destroy evidence of pornography constituting parole violations will have one of his arson convictions vacated after the Indiana Court of Appeals used recent caselaw to find a double jeopardy violation.
Justices: Juvenile convicted of attempted murder failed to show parent ‘essential’
When juvenile defendants are tried in adult court, parents who are also witnesses may be excluded from witness-separation orders if their children establish them as “essential” to the presentation of evidence, the Indiana Supreme Court has ruled. However, applying that holding to the facts of the case before them, justices concluded an Elkhart County teen failed to establish his mom was “essential” to his attempted murder defense.
Colorado shooting suspect makes his 1st court appearance
Three days after he was led away in handcuffs from a Boulder supermarket where 10 people were fatally shot, the suspect appeared in court Thursday for the first time and his defense lawyer asked for a health assessment “to address his mental illness.”
Mass shooters exploited gun laws, loopholes before carnage
The suspect in the shooting at a Boulder, Colorado, supermarket was convicted of assaulting a high school classmate but still got a gun. The man accused of opening fire on three massage businesses in the Atlanta area bought his gun just hours before the attack — no waiting required. They are the latest suspected U.S. mass shooters to obtain guns because of limited firearms laws, background check lapses or law enforcement’s failure to heed warnings of concerning behavior.
Anderson officer shoots, kills man firing gun on busy street
A central Indiana police officer exchanged gunfire with a man, fatally shooting him, as the officer responded to reports of a man firing a weapon along a busy street, police said.
Drug sentence remanded to reconsider term of supervised release
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has remanded an erroneous sentence for a drug conviction for the limited purpose of reconsidering the defendant’s term of supervised release.
SCOTUS leans toward tribal police in traffic stop, search of non-Indian
The Supreme Court of the United States seemed likely Tuesday to allow tribal police officers to stop and search non-Indians on tribal lands over concerns that drunk drivers or even violent criminals might otherwise elude authorities.
Drug, firearm convictions based on ‘middlemen’ testimony affirmed
Despite the unusual use of a middleman in a law enforcement controlled drug buy, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found sufficient evidence to uphold a Fort Wayne man’s convictions on multiple drug and firearms charges.
Boy, 14, faces murder, molesting counts in girl’s death
A 14-year-old boy was charged with murder and child molestation Monday in the asphyxiation death of a 6-year-old girl in northern Indiana, prosecutors said.
Indiana woman gets 32 years in husband’s stabbing death
A Fort Wayne woman who pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing her husband during an altercation in a parking lot has been sentenced to 32½ years in prison.
Colorado shooting leaves 10 dead in latest mass tragedy
A shooting at a crowded Colorado supermarket that killed 10 people, including the first police officer to arrive, sent terrorized shoppers and workers scrambling for safety and stunned a state that has grieved several mass killings. A lone suspect was in custody, authorities said.
Man fleeing police in northern Indiana shot by homeowner
A man fleeing police in northern Indiana was shot after encountering an armed homeowner, authorities said. The man survived after he was treated at a hospital.
Court could reimpose Boston marathon bomber’s death sentence
The United States Supreme Court said Monday it will consider reinstating the death sentence for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, presenting President Joe Biden with an early test of his opposition to capital punishment.
Prosecutor: Seymour officers justified in fatal shooting
A prosecutor has determined that the use of deadly force in the fatal police shooting of a man who pointed a gun at officers in southern Indiana was justified.
COA rejects vagueness, sufficiency arguments against domestic violence conviction
The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld a domestic battery conviction against a man who claimed he wasn’t actually married to his victim. The panel also rejected arguments that the statute was unconstitutionally vague.
Iowa man gets 45 years in killing outside Gary gas station
An Iowa man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison after pleading guilty in the 2015 death of an Illinois man fatally shot outside a Gary gas station.
Judge limits evidence, refuses to move trial in Floyd death
A judge on Friday denied a defense request to delay or move the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death after the announcement of a $27 million settlement for Floyd’s family raised concern about a tainted jury.
Woman denied counsel gets new trial on marijuana charge
A woman whose request for appointed counsel was denied will receive a new trial on her misdemeanor marijuana conviction after the Indiana Court of Appeals determined her constitutional right to counsel was violated.
7th Circuit orders hearing on counsel’s performance in habeas case
A man who received an enhanced federal sentence for robbery convictions has been granted a hearing on his ineffective assistance of counsel claim. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that under the facts of this case, defense counsel may have been required to anticipate future developments in caselaw.