IndyBar: New Year? New You!
While the Indiana expungement statute may seem intimidating, Indiana Code 35-38-9 will reveal itself to careful reading like the flower to the honeybee.
expungement
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Web Exclusive: Expungement wait period case awaits justices
After more than 10 years with a criminal record, an Elkhart man successfully petitioned to reduce his felony conviction to a misdemeanor. But when he tried to expunge the conviction two years later, he faced an unexpected setback. The Indiana Supreme Court will decide whether he and others in his situation must wait longer for an expungement.
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Halt of simple pot prosecutions gets mixed reaction
Reactions have been mixed to the recent announcement that the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will no longer prosecute cases of simple possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana. Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears announced the new policy Sept. 30.
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Articles
COA: Trial court erred by striking ‘proper person’ language from expungement order
A trial judge must reissue its expungement order for a defendant who successfully argued that the court’s original order improperly omitted statutory language, the Court of Appeals of Indiana has ruled.
IU McKinney Civil Practice Clinic helps secure COA reversal in expungement case
With the assistance of a group of Indianapolis law students, a man convicted of felony battery can continue to pursue expungement after the Court of Appeals of Indiana reversed the denial of his expungement petition.
Indiana Supreme Court grants transfer to wage dispute case, 2 other cases
A dispute between a dentist and her former employer, which split the Court of Appeals over the award of damages, is now headed for the Indiana Supreme Court.
Faith-based legal office again looking for leader
Stenciled on the back wall of the Expungement Help Desk run by the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic is a reminder that many who come looking to move forward with their lives often photograph and post on their Facebook pages. The message reads: “Don’t look back, you’re not going that way.” As it begins another search for a new executive director almost two years after hiring its previous leader, Amy Horton, the clinic may need to keep that affirmation in mind.
Marion County Second Chance Workshop gets $96K in federal aid
Marion County’s Second Chance Workshop, a program that helps reinstate suspended driver’s licenses and expunge criminal convictions, has secured $96,000 in federal aid.
COA affirms expungement denial following remand from Supreme Court
The Court of Appeals of Indiana has affirmed the denial of a man’s expungement petition for a violent burglary he took part in two decades ago following a remand from the Indiana Supreme Court.
Civil rights pioneer seeks expungement of ’55 arrest record
Months before Rosa Parks became the mother of the modern civil rights movement by refusing to move to the back of a segregated Alabama bus, Black teenager Claudette Colvin did the same. Convicted of assaulting a police officer while being arrested, she was placed on probation yet never received notice that she’d finished the term and was on safe ground legally. Now 82 and slowed by age, Colvin is asking a judge to end the matter once and for all.
Indiana pardon requests have dwindled with state law change
Gov. Eric Holcomb issued seven pardons to convicted criminals during his first year in office, including a man who spent eight years in prison despite evidence he was wrongly convicted of armed robbery.
‘Landmark’ juvenile justice bill awaiting governor’s signature
Indiana’s juvenile justice bill, which will implement key reforms and enable the state to retain federal funding, is headed to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk after the Senate unanimously concurred on the amended legislation earlier this week.
Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic gets $1M grant from Lilly Endowment
Indianapolis-based Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic has been awarded a grant of just over $1 million from Lilly Endowment’s Enhancing Opportunity Initiative, allowing the legal aid provider to bolster its assistance to individuals who are reentering society after being incarcerated.
Juvenile justice bill headed to Indiana House floor
The juvenile justice bill that national organizations say Indiana needs to ensure its children can move past the “poor decisions made during their childhood” is scheduled to arrive Tuesday on the Indiana House floor after two committees in the lower chamber voted unanimously in support of the measure.
Murder convictions ineligible for expungement, appeals court rules
An Indiana trial court properly denied expungement to an out-of-state inmate convicted of murder in Indiana, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled.
COA reverses, orders Tippecanoe County expungement
A man whose misdemeanors were expunged in two of three counties where he was convicted will now receive an expungement in the third county after the Indiana Court of Appeals reversed the trial court’s expungement denial. The appellate panel found in this case the trial court was compelled to grant the expungement.
Pro Bono Matters: Expungement clinics a great chance to provide a second chance
In a world where everything you need to know about a person is in the palm of your hand, some Indiana citizens have a hard time leaving their past mistakes behind. In order to address this, many lawyers dedicate their pro bono efforts to assisting with expungement clinics, which help eligible prior offenders seal certain arrest and conviction records.
Juvenile justice reform bill heads to House with bipartisan support
The Indiana Senate passed a bill Wednesday that could save the state nearly $1 million in federal funding by prohibiting juveniles charged with crimes from being held in adult jails.
COA reverses denied expungement for Elkhart County man
A man who was denied a petition to expunge his criminal record had the pendulum swing in his favor on Tuesday after an appellate panel reversed to grant his expungement request.
Justices reverse, remand denial of expungement petition
A trial court has been ordered to reconsider its decision to deny a man his petition for expungement of a crime he committed nearly 20 years ago after the Indiana Supreme Court found him to be eligible.
Web Exclusive: Setbacks don’t hinder Bloomington free expungement provider
Indiana University Maurer School of Law graduates who last year started an expungement help desk marked scores of personal victories through their work under trying circumstances and hope to build on early successes that helped clients in dozens of counties.
Evansville bench, bar backing words on racial injustice with actions
The Evansville Bar Association has put forward a detailed plan to address the problems of racial inequality and injustice by not only educating local legal professionals but also fostering a conversation within the larger community.