The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed a man’s felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance after finding that his vaping cartridge containing hash oil did not violate state law under which he was charged.
In the middle of the General Assembly’s 2020 session, as youth advocates were fighting proposed legislation that would have allowed preteens to be charged as adults for certain crimes, the Commission on Improving the Status of Children in Indiana took a step toward comprehensive juvenile justice reform.
Raising allegations of unconstitutional conditions, the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana has filed a lawsuit against Wabash County for “chronic” jail overcrowding.
Bills that would allow for summonses to appear instead of arrests in misdemeanor cases and that would raise the small claims filing limit statewide have passed the Indiana House of Representatives.
Rural communities’ access to justice, bail reform and ensuring voting rights for individuals with criminal convictions will be chief among several criminal justice topics set for discussion during next month’s 2020 American Bar Association Midyear Meeting.
A bill increasing the penalties for juvenile offenders passed a Senate committee Tuesday night despite more than an hour of testimony from judges, attorneys, social workers, pastors and former inmates who all voiced strong and sometimes emotional opposition.
A bill that would remake a key component of Indiana’s criminal code overhaul sailed through the House of Representatives on Tuesday with the author saying the measure will improve the efficiency of “one of the best things” that was included in the reform of the state’s criminal and sentencing statutes.
A divided Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed the denial of a sex offender’s motion to dismiss a charge brought against him for driving without registering his vehicle, despite a dissenting judge’s argument that the statute he was charged under was too vague.
As Marion County files its first charge of drug dealing resulting in death, Prosecutor Ryan Mears said the new law is another tool to help combat violent crime and drug addiction across Indianapolis.
Stakeholders from around Indiana shared experiences and expectations regarding pretrial release reform as the entire state moves toward a system less reliant on cash bail beginning in January.
As 2019 draws to a close, judicial officials across Indiana are preparing for a change coming Jan. 1. On that day, Criminal Rule 26, which dictates new pretrial release protocols, will be effective statewide.
Representatives from all 92 Indiana counties will gather in Indianapolis next week for a team-based training event on pretrial release practices in criminal cases.
A new leader has been selected to head the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council as longtime executive director David Powell announced his retirement from the role Thursday. Powell has been a leading Statehouse voice advocating on criminal law matters for nearly a decade.
While acknowledging Indiana’s efforts to reform its criminal justice system has slowed the growth of the state’s prison population, a new report by the ACLU of Indiana asserts that additional reforms, including expanded access to treatment for mental health and substance abuse, could reduce the number of incarcerated by 50 percent and save Hoosier taxpayers more than $541 million by 2025.
The Republican-majority Senate stripped a hate crimes bill Tuesday of language that specified the types of crimes it would apply to — those motivated by race, religion, sexual orientation, gender and other categories — despite emotional pleas by Democrats to leave the bill as written.
Some men and women whose mothers were unkowningly impregnated by their fertility doctor’s own sperm are upset that an Indiana legislative panel isn’t endorsing a proposed state law specifically against such actions.
Indiana law might be changed so that children as young as 12 could face attempted murder charges in adult court in a move prompted by a suburban Indianapolis school shooting.
For proponents of medical marijuana, optimism was sparked when Indiana legalized CBD oil earlier this year. With that door opened, legislators in both parties are hopeful that success will boost their chances of getting a hearing on medical marijuana bills they will file in the 2019 legislative session.
The work of law enforcement has changed dramatically in the last 30 years. But in Indiana, one aspect of local law enforcement has not: the per diem local jails receive to house, feed and transport inmates. Currently the state allocates a $35 per day, but the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association has announced plans to advocate for raising that amount to $55.
Indiana lawmakers have reached halftime in this year’s legislative session, which has been marked more by plans deferred and legislation killed than major accomplishments.