COA: Syringe offense not subject to felony enhancement
A felony enhancement against a Clinton County man convicted of possessing a syringe must be dismissed after the Indiana Court of Appeals found the man’s offense is not subject to an enhancement.
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Vanderburgh County murderer loses PCR bid
A Vanderburgh County man convicted of beating his girlfriend to death has lost his bid for post-conviction relief from the Indiana Court of Appeals, which found he did not receive ineffective assistance of trial counsel.
Justices won’t hear Johnson County public defender suit
The Indiana Supreme Court has denied transfer to a case challenging the constitutionality of Johnson County’s contract-based public defender system, a decision one of the attorneys representing county defendants said was disappointing and cowardly.
Justices to decide if school disciplinary investigation implicated Miranda rights
A case that the Indiana Court of Appeals used to explore how the presence of school resource officers changes the nature of in-school discipline will soon come before the Indiana Supreme Court, which will decide if a 17-year-old should have been read his Miranda rights while being questioned in a school disciplinary action.
Mooresville man convicted of neglect, conspiracy in 5-year-old boy’s death
A Mooresville man has been convicted of neglect and conspiracy to commit murder in the death of his girlfriend's 5-year-old son who had special needs. A jury in Morgan County returned the verdict early Wednesday in the case against Steven Ingalls Jr.
Supreme Court limits warrantless vehicle searches near homes
The U.S. Supreme Court sided 8-1 with a Virginia man who complained that police walked onto his driveway without a warrant and pulled back a tarp covering his motorcycle, which turned out to be stolen. The justices said the automobile exception does not apply when searching vehicles parked adjacent to a home.
COA upholds 6-year stalking sentence for ex’s break-in, threat
A Ripley County man who broke into his ex-wife’s home by climbing on the roof and cutting through the drywall with razor blades has lost his appeal of his six-year sentence for convictions of intimidation and invasion of privacy, with the Indiana Court of Appeals rejecting his argument that the sentence is inappropriate.
Harvey Weinstein arraigned on rape, criminal sex act charges
Flinching when he heard himself described as a man who used power to prey on women, disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was arraigned Friday on rape and other charges in the first criminal prosecution to result from the wave of allegations against him that sparked a national reckoning over sexual misconduct.
Attorney who threatened estranged wife with ax disbarred
A Mishawka attorney convicted of felony intimidation after threatening to kill his wife with an ax has been disbarred. The former lawyer is the second disbarred this week by the Indiana Supreme Court for felony convictions.
Brownsburg man pleads guilty to terrorism-related charge
A suburban Indianapolis man accused of trying to join the Islamic State group overseas pleaded guilty to a terrorism charge Wednesday. Akram Musleh of Brownsburg entered the plea in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis.
Man convicted of corpse abuse, not murder, in woman’s death
A jury in Evansville acquitted a man of murder and kidnapping in the death of a 19-year-old disabled woman while convicting him of criminal confinement and abuse of a corpse.
Justices take certified question on coverage of ‘negligent’ insureds
The Indiana Supreme Court will provide clarification on two conflicting rulings related to insurance coverage for parties accused of acting negligently when a co-insured is accused of acting intentionally or criminally.
Ex-sheriff’s official pleads guilty to lying to FBI
A former Lake County Sheriff’s Department official has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during a public corruption investigation that led to the conviction of former Sheriff John Buncich.
Justices agree to hear firearms, driving privileges cases
The Indiana Supreme Court will soon grapple with legal issues relating to possession of firearms and specialized driving privileges after granting transfer to three cases last week. Justices also denied 51 transfer petitions last week.
Three business owners, former bank employee charged in $8M fraud schemes
Five central Indiana residents — including the owners of three local companies — have been charged along with a Detroit man with embezzling more than $8 million from a bank and an insurance company, in part to pay for a home, a wedding, cars and more.
Man who abandoned family ordered to pay $2M in support
A former Indiana man who was considered dead after abandoning his family nearly 25 years ago and fleeing to Florida has been ordered to pay his ex-wife nearly $2 million in back child support.
Justices to decide if bad search voids child molest convictions
The Indiana Supreme Court must decide if a Blackford County man’s child molestation convictions will stand despite an unconstitutional search of his home that led to his confession. The question will force the court to grapple with the relationship between two doctrines: attenuation and fruit of the poisonous tree.
Man’s contempt order for bail violation reversed on appeal
A northern Indiana trial court’s contempt order against a man who violated a condition of bail was an abuse of discretion, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday, reversing the order.
Man gets 90 years for setting fire to covered bridges
A Rockville man has been sentenced to 90 years in prison after being convicted of setting fires that destroyed a covered bridge and damaged another.
Judge: Special counsel had authority to prosecute Manafort
Special counsel Robert Mueller was working within his authority when he brought charges against President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, a federal judge in Washington ruled Tuesday.