Articles

Web Exclusive: Sex abuse survivor trains lawyers, others to avoid revictimizing

After overcoming addiction, abuse and sexual harm, Sarah Hurley sought to aid women dealing with the same struggles she faced as a child. She created the White Stone Project, an organization devoted to providing survivor-led, professional training and coaching to people and organizations engaging trauma survivors. Its goal: to equip people to more effectively communicate, understand and avoid revictimizing those they work with.

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Domestic violence coalition grows network of lawyers to help survivors

The Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s Satellite Attorney Program offers free civil legal services to low-income victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. The program has a network of just over 100 attorneys across Indiana and, since January 2016, has provided legal advice or counsel, including direct representation, in roughly 350 cases.

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Lack of inmate program recommendation no issue on appeal, COA rules

A man sentenced to six years in prison for battering his father lost his argument on appeal that the trial court failed to recommend him for participation in a substance abuse treatment program. Placement in such programs are left to the discretion of the Department of Correction, the court noted.

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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.

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Judgment for police affirmed despite ‘insufficient’ abuse response

Though an Indiana sheriff’s department’s response to a woman’s multiple domestic violence claims against her boyfriend, who was a sheriff’s deputy, may have been “insufficient,” the woman failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove her claims against the department should go to trial, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeal ruled.

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Domestic violence victim gun bill steered to study

A controversial bill that would have allowed victims of domestic violence to legally carry a gun without a permit was steered to a summer study committee Wednesday following testimony from victims and advocates on both sides of the issue.

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