Indiana woman reaches plea deal in baby’s meth-related death
An eastern Indiana woman whose three-month-old son died last year from methamphetamine intoxication has agreed to plead guilty to a neglect charge in the infant’s death.
Drugs
Articles
Bont: White collar update — Walmart pharmacy defense plays offense
Walmart took issue with the government’s assertion that national pharmacy chains are required to analyze and share prescribing data across its stores and with line pharmacists. After waiting four years for the government to initiate legal proceedings, Walmart took the offensive and filed a declaratory judgment action in the Eastern District of Texas. In essence, Walmart alleged to the court that the government was creating and enforcing laws that did not exist.
Justices grant transfer to 2 cases, including first impression search warrant question
The Indiana Supreme Court has granted transfer to two cases, including one case presenting an issue of first impression as to whether law enforcement can establish probable cause for a search warrant based only on the smell of marijuana.
Justices move to further discipline ex-Hamilton County judge
A Hamilton County magistrate judge who was removed from the bench after he was convicted of meth possession resulting from a law enforcement sting operation faces additional discipline for an alleged violation of his professional probation.
Denial of grandparental visitation reversed in ‘unusual circumstances’
Ruling in a case presenting “somewhat unusual circumstances,” the Indiana Court of Appeals reversed the denial of a petition for grandparent visitation, finding the trial court had erred in determining the visitation would not be in the granddaughter’s best interests. The appeals court remanded for proceedings to establish a grandparent visitation order in the case.
Expert witness: George Floyd died from lack of oxygen
George Floyd died from a lack of oxygen, which damaged his brain and caused his heart to stop, a medical expert testified Thursday at former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin’s murder trial.
George Floyd murder trial jurors view officer video of struggle, takedown
George Floyd’s struggle with three police officers trying to arrest him, seen on body-camera video, included Floyd’s panicky cries of “I’m sorry, I’m sorry” and “I’m claustrophobic!” as the officers tried to push Floyd into the back of a police SUV.
Hefty sentence, convictions upheld for accomplice in Avon pharmacy robbery
A man considered to be an accomplice of an armed pharmacy robber could not convince the Indiana Court of Appeals on Tuesday that his decades-long sentence was inappropriate.
Former officer’s trial in George Floyd’s death gets underway
A former Minneapolis police officer goes on trial Monday in George Floyd’s death, and jurors may not wait long to see parts of the bystander video that caught Derek Chauvin’s knee on Floyd’s neck, sparking waves of outrage and activism across the U.S. and beyond.
Drug sentence remanded to reconsider term of supervised release
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has remanded an erroneous sentence for a drug conviction for the limited purpose of reconsidering the defendant’s term of supervised release.
SCOTUS leans toward tribal police in traffic stop, search of non-Indian
The Supreme Court of the United States seemed likely Tuesday to allow tribal police officers to stop and search non-Indians on tribal lands over concerns that drunk drivers or even violent criminals might otherwise elude authorities.
Drug, firearm convictions based on ‘middlemen’ testimony affirmed
Despite the unusual use of a middleman in a law enforcement controlled drug buy, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found sufficient evidence to uphold a Fort Wayne man’s convictions on multiple drug and firearms charges.
Justices affirm sentence but stress clarity in guilty-plea appeal waivers
Although it upheld a man’s six-year executed sentence for drug convictions, the Indiana Supreme Court issued a per curiam opinion reminding trial court about the importance of clarity during guilty-plea sentencing hearings that involve a waiver of a defendant’s right to appeal.
DOC secrets remain after justices rule for disclosure
Despite a ruling in her favor from the Indiana Supreme Court capping her years-long quest to find out how the state of Indiana might carry out an execution, Washington, D.C., attorney Katherine Toomey was still waiting for answers two weeks later.
7th Circuit affirms sentence in South Bend firearm conviction
A sentence for a man convicted of possessing firearms as a felon was affirmed by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals despite his acquittal of possessing drugs with intent to distribute. The appeals panel found adequate evidence to support the conviction and sentence.
Terre Haute man sentenced after student eats drug-laced candy
A Terre Haute man was sentence to a decade in prison in a case where a student at a local school became ill after eating drug-laced candy.
COA slashes 18-year DOC sentence, orders treatment for drug offender
A man sentenced to 18 years after being convicted in a drug sting operation will only serve four of those years in prison, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled, reversing a sentencing order that did not allow for probation or substance abuse treatment.
Justices clear Knox County prosecutor in discipline case
The elected prosecutor of Knox County in southwestern Indiana has been cleared of a charge of “offensive personality” in an attorney ethics case arising from his conduct in a police investigation of a former deputy prosecutor’s sexual relationship with a woman serving time on meth charges. It’s the second time in days that justices have cleared an elected prosecutor in a discipline case.
Henry County Jail escapee remains at large; second man captured
One of two inmates who escaped from an eastern Indiana jail remained at large Thursday morning, authorities said.
Heroin dealer’s conviction vacated, resentencing ordered
An Indianapolis heroin dealer who was sentenced to 25 years in prison after she was convicted of dealing that led to an overdose and conspiracy persuaded a federal appeals court that she should be resentenced and one of the charges against her vacated.