Not guilty plea entered for Indiana sitter in child’s death
A not guilty plea has been entered on behalf of a northeastern Indiana babysitter charged in the death of a young child she was caring for last year.
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Hendricks Judge Freese suspended 45 days over friend’s estate theft
Hendricks Superior Judge Robert W. Freese has been suspended from judicial office without pay for 45 days after appointing a friend as a trustee of an estate case he was presiding over and failing to take action when the friend did not fulfill his duties, resulting in a “massive theft.”
Divided Supreme Court upholds suppression of child molesting statements
An accused child molester who was not convicted due to a mistrial has won his argument that incriminating statements he made during a police interrogation were rightfully suppressed during trial because he was not read his Miranda warnings.
Evansville man accused of selling fentanyl to woman who died
Authorities say a southern Indiana man has been arrested in connection with the fentanyl-based overdose death of a 22-year-old woman.
Illinois poised to be 11th state to allow recreational marijuana
Illinois is likely to become the 11th state to allow small amounts of marijuana for recreational use after the Democratic-controlled House on Friday sent a legalization plan to Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The move further isolates Indiana’s criminalization of marijuana nationally and among its neighboring states.
Constructive amendment error doesn’t warrant new trial, 7th Circuit rules
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a man’s life sentence after rejecting his request to vacate and receive a new trial on his firearm possession convictions based on a constructive amendment error in his indictment.
Holcomb ceremonially signs victims rights bill
A victims rights bill inspired by a mother attempting to protect her underage daughter from a sexual predator’s grooming tactics was ceremonially signed Wednesday by Gov. Eric Holcomb, with support from the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council.
Legislative Council approves 2019 interim committees
Study committees for the 2019 interim period have been approved by Indiana’s Legislative Council and will address dozens of issues for review in the coming months, including several legal-focused topics.
Man who sold rental mower loses appeal over Hamilton County venue
A lawn mower thief failed to convince an appellate court that Hamilton County was an improper venue for his case because the theft did not actually occur until the mower’s signed rental agreement expired one day later in another county.
Restitution affirmed in Vigo school district kickback scheme
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a restitution calculation in the case of a former Vigo County School Corporation employee who received a share of more than $110,000 in kickbacks after steering government contracts to a favored bidder.
Jury for gruesome Jeffersonville slaying to come from Hamilton County
The jury for a southern Indiana man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and eating parts of her body will come from Hamilton County due to publicity about the case, officials said.
Former officer pleads guilty to battery for punching suspect
A former Fort Wayne police officer has pleaded guilty to battery and resigned after authorities say he punched a man who refused to have his blood drawn for a drunken driving investigation.
10 dogs, more than 550 birds seized in animal fighting probe
Officials say more than 550 birds and 10 dogs allegedly being kept for use in animal fighting have been rescued from properties in two Indiana counties.
Fort Wayne man pleads guilty to killing 4, including fetus
A Fort Wayne man has pleaded guilty to four counts of murder in the deaths of four people including his unborn child.
‘American Taliban’ John Walker Lindh to be released
John Walker Lindh, the young Californian who became known as the American Taliban after he was captured by U.S. forces in the invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, is set to go free from the Federal Correctional Institute in Terre Haute after nearly two decades in prison.
Carmel synagogue vandal who espoused Nazism gets 3 years for hate crime
A 21-year-old man has been sentenced to three years in prison for spray-painting anti-Semitic graffiti and lighting fires outside a Carmel synagogue. Witnesses said the man had openly advocated Nazism among friends and co-workers and had planned a larger attack.
Divided appeals court reduces child molester’s sentence
A divided Indiana Court of Appeals panel cut a child molester’s sentence in half after it concluded that the length of his sentence was inappropriate due to his dementia and incompetence, among other things.
Indy towing operator charged with defrauding car owners in massive scheme
The owner of an Indianapolis towing company has been indicted for running what prosecutors describe as a “title-washing scheme,” in which he targeted financially distressed car owners, took possession of their vehicles, charged huge towing and storage fees and then resold them.
Garrett man gets 80 years for trying to kill officers
A northeastern Indiana man has been sentenced to 80 years in prison for two counts of attempted murder for shooting at police.
Man gets 30 years in slaying of man buried beneath concrete
A central Indiana man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for a slaying where the victim’s body was found buried beneath concrete.