Beckwith office initiates ex parte communication with judge
The judge informed attorneys in the case and refused to consider the correspondence. Ex parte communications are unauthorized because they don’t involve all legal parties.
Criminal Case
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Indianapolis attorney’s small firm helps clients start over
Initially dubbed Indiana’s “expungement queen” by a mentor and now peers, Stephanie Renner runs a small practice in Indianapolis that focuses on several areas: criminal, divorce, prenuptial.
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‘We all like certainty’: Attorneys want more clarity on appeal waivers
A series of cases and decisions in Indiana’s appellate courts have left some defense attorneys and at least one judge hoping for more clarity on what rights to appeal a defendant retains after they’ve agreed to a plea deal.
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Web Exclusive: Use of wiretap laws changing as civil claims seemingly become more common
Wiretapping is seeing an increase, both in criminal case authorizations and, perhaps unexpectedly, as a claim in civil proceedings.
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Halfway point: A look at key legislation in 2nd half of 2023 session
Here is an update on key legislation affecting not only lawyers, but all Hoosiers statewide. Updates are as of March 10.
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Articles
Cornell rape allegations prompt prosecutor to reopen criminal investigation
A prosecutor confirmed Monday that he had begun the process of pursuing criminal charges against seven alleged perpetrators and would present the case to a grand jury.
Former gang leader accused of ordering Tupac Shakur’s killing goes on trial
The trial of a man accused of orchestrating the killing of Tupac Shakur started this week with jury selection, almost 30 years after the rap legend was gunned down near the Las Vegas Strip. Attorneys began vetting potential jurors Monday for the case, which centers on one of the hip-hop world’s defining moments and enduring […]
Supreme Court to decide whether criminal cases must have 12 jurors
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide whether states can use juries made up of only six people in criminal cases, instead of the usual 12.
Former IU researcher pleads guilty to smuggling E. coli DNA from China to U.S.
Youhuang Xiang, 32, will receive prison time and be deported as part of his sentence.
DNA testing could clear a dead man’s name — and point to a serial killer
Posthumous exonerations based on DNA testing are exceedingly rare.
Police are finding suspects based on their online searches as courts weigh privacy concerns
Unlike traditional search warrants that target a known suspect or location, keyword warrants work backward by identifying internet addresses where searches were made in a certain window of time for particular terms.
Prosecutors seek substantial prison term for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs as they oppose bail
Prosecutors said they now expect Combs could face a prison sentence “substantially higher” than the four to five years they once thought likely after his conviction on two prostitution-related charges.
Roy Graham: Providing human answers to difficult professional questions
“How can you defend someone who’s guilty?” Every criminal defense lawyer hears this.
Delaware County jury convicts man of child pornography possession
A Delaware County jury on Friday convicted an Albany man of two counts of possession of child pornography in Delaware Circuit Court.
State attorneys reject pleas from Indiana death row inmate, press for court to set execution date
Earlier this month, Corcoran’s lawyers said in court filing that he is “unquestionably seriously mentally ill” and therefore should not be subject to the death penalty.
Indianapolis company that bred beagles for research pleads guilty to neglect, ordered to pay record $35M fine
An Indianapolis-based company that bred beagles for medical research agreed Monday to pay a record $35 million as part of a criminal plea admitting it neglected thousands of dogs at its breeding facility in rural Virginia.
The inside story of a rotten Hewlett Packard deal to be told in trial of fallen British tech star
The criminal trial in San Francisco federal court revolves around HP’s acquisition of British software maker Autonomy, a deal that was celebrated as coup when it was announced in 2011, only to blow up into a costly debacle.
First Step Act anniversary shows progress made in sentencing reforms: Advocates look to continue building on sentencing, release changes
It’s now been five years since the Formerly Incarcerated Reenter Society Transformed Safely Transitioning Every Person — or FIRST STEP — Act was signed into law.
Supreme Court grapples with use of confession in joint trial
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday grappled with whether a man serving a life sentence for his role on an international “kill team” should get a new trial.
Judge recuses in Delphi murder case, special judge appointed
Carroll Circuit Judge Benjamin A. Diener has recused himself from the high-profile murder case involving two teenage girls who were slain in 2017 in Delphi. Allen Superior Judge Fran Gull will now serve as special judge over the case against Richard Allen.
Witnesses recall fallout of judges shooting during gunman’s trial
Each of the four judges involved in a shooting at an Indianapolis White Castle recently took the stand for the prosecution, recounting with emotion the events of April 30 and May 1, 2019.
Web Exclusive: Divided IN Supreme Court again asks for legislative fix to ‘jurisdictional gap’ between juvenile, criminal cases
In the state of Indiana, if an individual commits the act of child molesting before their 18th birthday but charges aren’t filed until after they turn 21, the offender is essentially off the hook. According to the state’s highest court, there’s a “jurisdictional gap” in the law making that possible.
Restorative justice resolves alleged assault at Indiana lake
A judge says restorative justice was successfully used for one of the first times in Indiana to remediate a confrontation in which a Black man said a group of white men assaulted him and threatened to “get a noose” while at a southern Indiana lake more than a year ago.
US Supreme Court agrees Indian Country ruling not retroactive
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld an Oklahoma appellate court decision that the high court’s landmark McGirt ruling on criminal jurisdiction in Indian Country does not apply retroactively to state convictions that are finalized.