3 Muncie officers indicted in federal excessive force cases
Three Muncie police officers have been charged in connection with the use of excessive force during arrests and attempts to cover it up.
Criminal
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Man gets 50 years in Indianapolis doctor’s 2017 killing
A 19-year-old man who pleaded guilty in the fatal shooting of a prominent Indianapolis doctor was sentenced to 50 years in prison after telling a judge that he “got railroaded.”
COA affirms charges brought under new cause number
The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed the denial of a man’s motion to dismiss charges brought against him in a new cause after the state sought to refile the case to tidy up the record, finding no abuse of discretion in the decision.
Reversal: Orange County man’s child molesting conviction improperly elevated
The Indiana Court of Appeals has ordered a man convicted of child molesting resentenced. The panel found his felony conviction was improperly elevated and cautioned the trial court regarding consideration of his uncharged allegations on remand.
US Supreme Court rejects ex-cop’s appeal of rape convictions
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal for a former Oklahoma City police officer convicted of sexually assaulting black women he encountered while patrolling the city’s low-income neighborhoods.
Man’s 6-year sentence affirmed in fatal teen car wreck case
While hanging out one evening at a playground in 2017, five Indianapolis teenagers got into an argument with two women nearby who were searching for a drone owned by Daniel Cannon. When asked if they wanted to fight, the teens got back into their vehicle, drove toward the women as if to hit them, and then moved on to the street.
Justices split on denial of transfer to med-mal wrongful death case
The Indiana Supreme Court has split in the denial of transfer in a case involving a fatal altercation between a psychiatric patient and a caregiver, with two justices dissenting from the holding that ensuing wrongful-death litigation should be brought under the Medical Malpractice Act.
COA upholds sentence for man who repeatedly stabbed wife
A Lake County man who stabbed repeatedly stabbed his wife did not convince the Indiana Court of Appeals on Wednesday that his nearly 30-year sentence for the crime was inappropriate.
COA splits over length of woman’s consecutive sentences for drug dealing
The Indiana Court of Appeals divided Thursday on a woman’s consecutive sentences for drug dealing convictions, with a dissenting judge contending her 24½-year term should be shorter.
Domestic battery charges against Lake County official dismissed
Six domestic battery charges have been dismissed against Lake County Recorder Michael B. Brown after his attorneys provided prosecutors with videos showing the alleged victim hitting him in front of children several times and defecating on his personal belongings.
Man charged in judges’ shooting claims self-defense, says judges were aggressors
The man charged with shooting two southern Indiana judges outside an Indianapolis fast food restaurant last year claimed in a Tuesday court filing that he acted in self-defense. The notice of affirmative defense also alleges the judges were the aggressors as alleged gunman Brandon Kaiser and his nephew, Alfredo Vazquez, were stopping to eat at a downtown White Castle, where the shooting took place in the parking lot.
Bill to standardize indigency determinations heads to Holcomb
A bill bringing uniformity to indigency determinations is headed for Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk after clearing the Indiana House. The measure sailed through the General Assembly without a vote in opposition.
East Chicago man charged in barbershop shootings that injured 5
A man accused of shooting five people, including three children, at a Chicago barbershop in January has been charged with attempted murder, authorities said.
16-year-old charged with murder in teen siblings’ slayings
A 16-year-old Indianapolis boy was charged Monday with murder as an adult for allegedly fatally shooting two teenage siblings.
Supreme Court upholds Arizona death sentence
A sharply divided United States Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the death sentence for an Arizona inmate who was convicted of killing two people in home burglaries nearly 30 years ago.
New Virginia sentencing law ends high court’s DC sniper case
Lee Boyd Malvo, the Washington, D.C., area sniper, and the state of Virginia agreed Monday to dismiss a pending Supreme Court case after the state changed criminal sentencing law for juveniles.
Weinstein conviction could influence other sex crime prosecutions
New York prosecutors are hailing former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein’s conviction as a pivotal moment that could change the way the legal system views a type of sexual assault case historically considered difficult to prove.
Justices grant transfer in 4 cases, deny 19 others
The Indiana Supreme Court declined to hear 19 cases out of 23 petitions for transfer last week but agreed to hear cases involving post-conviction relief and termination of parental rights, among others.
Justices: Seized evidence must be suppressed in GPS tracker case
Though the ruling may result in a drug crime going unpunished, the Indiana Supreme Court has reversed the denial of a motion to suppress evidence, finding a lack of probable cause to support the underlying search warrants.
ACLU files Wabash County Jail overcrowding suit
Raising allegations of unconstitutional conditions, the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana has filed a lawsuit against Wabash County for “chronic” jail overcrowding.