Ex-officer pleads guilty but mentally ill after 2016 crash
A former Lake County sheriff’s officer who authorities say struck and killed a man with his squad car while intoxicated at the 2016 Gary Air Show has pleaded guilty but mentally ill.
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Supreme Court rules for inmate whose lawyer conceded guilt
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that a lawyer for a criminal defendant cannot override his client’s wish to maintain his innocence at trial, even if the lawyer’s aim is to avoid a death sentence.
Justices to hear argument in blocked railroad crossings case
The question of whether state or federal law determines how long trains can block traffic at railroad crossings will come before the Indiana Supreme Court during oral argument this week. These case is one of three that justices will hear Thursday.
No charges in Indiana day care attack that hurt 1-year-old
A prosecutor won’t file charges in an attack at an Indianapolis day care that left a 1-year-old boy’s lips and face scratched and swollen.
COA: Participating in needle exchange doesn’t excuse drug activity
A Lawrence County man who argued he had “legal authority” to possess two syringes under the county’s needle exchange program has lost his appeal of his possession of paraphernalia conviction, with the Indiana Court of Appeals rejecting the notion that needle exchanges excuse illegal drug activity. However, the court overturned another of the man’s drug convictions for lack of evidence.
Woman who posed as DCS worker killed mom, claimed baby
A Gary woman will spend decades in prison for killing a mother in her Anderson home in 2015 and trying to pass off the woman’s baby as her own.
Suspect in officer’s death was wanted in another killing
A 21-year-old man suspected of fatally shooting a Terre Haute police officer was wanted for questioning in another man’s killing when Friday’s deadly shootout unfolded, according to court documents filed Monday in a related case involving the alleged gunman’s girlfriend.
Divided COA orders dismissal of theft, battery charges
Theft and battery charges against a Marion County man must be dismissed after a majority of an Indiana Court of Appeals panel determined he was not brought to trial within 70 days, per his speedy trial request.
Gary man pleads guilty, faces life term in 7 women’s deaths
A Gary man has avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty in the deaths of seven women and instead faces life in prison without parole. Darren Vann of Gary, Indiana, entered the guilty pleas during a surprise court hearing Friday in Crown Point. He will be sentenced May 25.
Appeals court rejects inmate’s probation violation argument
A Marion County man must remain incarcerated in the Marion County Jail after the Indiana Court of Appeals rejected his argument that his probation revocation rights were violated.
Shakeup in Trump’s legal team may usher in tougher stance
President Donald Trump hired a veteran attorney who represented Bill Clinton during his impeachment process as the White House shifted to a more aggressive approach to a special counsel investigation that has reached a critical stage.
Man who fled country gets 92 years for bank robbery, firing at police
A Muncie man who was tracked down in Colombia and convicted of robbing a bank and shooting at a responding police in 2012 has been sentenced to more than 92 years in prison.
COA upholds admission of marijuana found in home
A multi-count drug trial against an Indianapolis man will continue with evidence obtained from a search of the man’s home after the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled there was probable cause to issue for a search warrant.
Supreme Court upholds warrants that led to marijuana grow house
The Indiana Supreme Court has upheld the issuance of two search warrants that led to the discovery of an indoor marijuana operation and an Indianapolis man’s two drug felonies, finding an Indianapolis police detective provided a substantial basis to issue the warrants.
Chinese tariffs shed light on theft of American IP
The brewing trade war between the United States and China has shone a renewed spotlight on a longstanding source of contention between the two economies: intellectual property theft.
Ex-Bunker Hill town marshal faces misconduct, forgery case
Authorities say the former town marshal of Bunker Hill in Miami County provided false police credentials for an acquaintance so the person could be paid more while working as a security guard.
Landis, longtime head of Public Defender Council, to retire in July
Despite working on Indiana public defense reforms for 41 years, there are still goals Larry Landis wishes he could have accomplished before his impending retirement from the Indiana Public Defender Council. In a perfect world, Landis said his career would have led to more judicial sentencing discretion, a greater focus on mental health treatment, and a justice system that values restoration over punishment.
‘Truth prevails’: Cosby accuser hails guilty verdict
The woman Bill Cosby was convicted of sexually assaulting tweeted “Truth prevails” Friday, the morning after a jury came back with a verdict that could send the 80-year-old comedian to prison for the rest of his life.
Bill Cosby convicted of drugging, molesting woman
Bill Cosby was convicted Thursday of drugging and molesting a woman in the first big celebrity trial of the #MeToo era, completing the spectacular late-life downfall of a comedian who broke racial barriers in Hollywood on his way to TV superstardom.
COA: Bomb threat still evacuates closed courthouse
A man convicted of intimidation for threatening to blowup a courthouse failed to persuade the Indiana Court of Appeals that he did not want to evacuate the building because he made the calls when he knew the place would be empty.