US Supreme Court backs police in traffic stops
Police can pull over a car when they know only that its owner’s license is invalid, even if they don’t know who’s behind the wheel, the Supreme Court ruled Monday.
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Federal judge throws out jury verdict against Marion County deputy
A jury verdict against a Marion County sheriff’s deputy in a jail inmate’s excessive force case has been vacated after a federal magistrate judge found insufficient evidence to support an excessive-force conviction.
Man with mental disability freed, granted new trial in murder case
A northern Indiana man who has maintained for more than a decade that law enforcement officials in Elkhart exploited his mental disability to coerce him into a false murder confession has been released from prison and granted a new trial.
State leaders urge release of low-risk inmates, non-violent juveniles
Leaders of all three branches of state government issued a joint letter Friday providing local communities guidance in releasing those detained in jails, correctional facilities and juvenile detention in an effort to stem the spread of coronavirus.
Reversal: COA rules for accused robber in suppression dispute
A man charged with armed robbery won a reversal from the Indiana Court of Appeals on Friday after the appellate panel found the trial court erred in concluding that he was not in custody when officers searched his backpack and was not entitled to be advised of his rights.
7th Circuit affirms judgment for Hendricks County officer in mentally ill man’s killing
A father who sued a Hendricks County deputy and others after his mentally ill son was fatally shot during a welfare check did not convince the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that judgment entered in the defendants’ favor was wrong.
SCOTUS to review police qualified immunity from lawsuits
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal by police officers who believe they deserve immunity from a lawsuit filed by college student who says he was beaten up in a case of mistaken identity.
Legislation on summonses revisited amid pandemic
Legislation that would have favored summons over jail time for low-level misdemeanors didn’t pass the Indiana Senate, but in light of COVID-19 restrictions, the Indiana Supreme Court urged trial courts to take a similar approach. Local law enforcement seems to be following suit to keep inmates at low risk for exposure.
COA affirms firearm felony in Indy500 case
A man attending the Indianapolis 500 who was carrying a firearm without a permit did not convince the Indiana Court of Appeals that his constitutional rights were violated by a frisk.
TV program to spotlight unsolved killings of 2 Delphi teens
A national television program that examines true-crime cases is putting its spotlight on the unsolved 2017 killings of two teenage girls who were slain after they went hiking on a northern Indiana recreational trail.
Indiana officials push for obeying stay-at-home order
The Indianapolis 500 on Thursday joined a long list of sporting events postponed by the coronavirus, as Indiana reported its death toll from the pandemic has risen by three to 17. State officials also insisted residents abide by the governor’s stay-at-home order to rein in the coronavirus spread and not take advantage of its travel and work exemptions.
2 found fatally shot after police standoff in Fishers
Police in suburban Indianapolis say they found a man and a woman fatally shot after a lengthy standoff in which shots were fired at officers.
Holcomb signs bill eliminating expungement wait time issue
Gov. Eric Holcomb on Wednesday signed into law a measure eliminating confusion in the courts and establishing that the waiting period to obtain an expungement begins on the date a felony conviction is entered and does not start anew if that conviction is later reduced to a misdemeanor.
Granger man dies after police subdue him with stun gun
A northern Indiana man has died in custody shortly after a sheriff’s deputy used a stun gun to subdue him when he refused to drop a knife, authorities said.
Officer responsible for fatal crash didn’t violate victim’s rights, judge rules
A former South Bend police officer who killed a motorist while driving in excess of 90 mph did not violate the motorist’s constitutional rights, a federal judge has ruled in dismissing a civil case against the officer. The judge did, however, authorize the filing of some claims in state court.
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.
Supreme Court petitioned on police officers’ legal immunity
James King had no idea that the men who grabbed him and took his wallet were plainclothes officers looking for a fugitive. King’s case is one of several taken up by the Arlington-based Institute for Justice in an effort to get the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider the “qualified immunity” doctrine, which frequently shields police officers and other government agents from lawsuits when they are accused of violating a person’s constitutional rights.
DNA under victim’s nails leads to arrest in 2000 Indianapolis killing
A northern Indiana man has been charged in the 2000 killing of a man found dead in an Indianapolis hotel room after his DNA matched DNA found beneath the victim’s fingernails, prosecutors said.
Denial of motion to suppress affirmed in traffic stop case
The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed the denial of a man’s motion to suppress evidence of narcotics discovered in his vehicle during a traffic stop after a tip that he had been using drugs in his Purdue University dorm room.
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.