law enforcement - The Indiana Lawyer

Elkhart inmate files wrongful conviction petition claiming Elkhart Police coerced his statement

June 15, 2018

Nearly 13 years after he was found guilty of a murder he claims he did not commit and following a subsequent series of failed attempts at appellate and post-conviction relief, a developmentally disabled man has petitioned the Elkhart Circuit Court to overturn his conviction on the basis of new evidence he says proves his confession was coerced and his counsel was ineffective. Andrew Royer filed a petition to vacate the judgment against him on Wednesday.

Anderson police recommend no charges in hot car death

June 13, 2018

The Anderson Police Department is recommending no criminal charges in the death of a 3-year-old who was left in a hot car for more than two hours.

Man charged with shooting Boone deputy seeks change of venue

June 13, 2018

A man charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a Boone County sheriff’s deputy wants his trial moved. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Anthony Baumgardt, who is charged in the fatal shooting of deputy Jacob Pickett.

Three defendants face federal charges related to killings of two police officers

June 11, 2018

Three individuals linked to the killings of Boone County Deputy Jacob Pickett and Terre Haute Police Officer Robert Pitts now face federal charges for the illegal purchase and possession of firearms used in those killings. Dawn Rochon, Tiffany Dean Levi Brenton have been charged for their role in illegally purchasing and possessing firearms eventually used to kill Pickett and Pitts earlier this year.

Gary man wants review of conviction in Indiana officer’s death

June 4, 2018

A Gary man who was sentenced to life in prison without parole for fatally shooting a Gary police officer is asking a court to review his conviction. Twenty-nine-year-old Carl Le’Ellis Blount has filed a post-conviction relief petition alleging Lake County prosecutors threatened him to get him to plead guilty to murder in the 2014 shooting death of Gary Patrolman Jeffrey Westerfield.

Fired black officer may expand lawsuit, judge rules

May 23, 2018

An officer who claims he was discriminated against at work and in his firing from the Whitley County Sheriff’s Office may expand his lawsuit to name former Sheriff Mark Hodges, a federal judge has ruled.

Indianapolis official announces halt to merit board changes

May 22, 2018

The Indianapolis City-County Council president has halted plans to revamp the city’s civilian police merit board in the wake of its recent vote clearing two officers of wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black motorist.

Fort Wayne officers’ excessive force countersuit bid rejected

May 21, 2018

A federal magistrate judge has rejected a bid by four Fort Wayne police officers to countersue a woman who accuses them of racial profiling and excessive force.

Negligence suit from bicyclist hit by officer’s car remanded for trial

May 21, 2018

A negligence case against the town of Chesterton and the Porter County Drug Task Force must proceed to trial after the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled there was a genuine issue of material fact as to whether the plaintiff who brought the case was contributorily negligent in the bicycle-vehicle accident.

Justices to decide if bad search voids child molest convictions

May 18, 2018

The Indiana Supreme Court must decide if a Blackford County man’s child molestation convictions will stand despite an unconstitutional search of his home that led to his confession. The question will force the court to grapple with the relationship between two doctrines: attenuation and fruit of the poisonous tree.

Indianapolis meetings to discuss police-community trust

May 18, 2018

Members of the Indianapolis City-County Council will hold community meetings on a breakdown in trust between police and the community. Council President Vop Osili and six other Democratic and Republican councilors announced the meetings during a news conference Thursday, one week after a civilian police merit board cleared two policemen of wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black motorist.

Lake County Jail deal seeks to curb turnover, overtime

May 16, 2018

A county in northwestern Indiana has ratified a jail contract that increases jailers’ pay in an effort to curb turnover and overtime among corrections officers.

Ex-officer pleads guilty but mentally ill after 2016 crash

May 15, 2018

A former Lake County sheriff’s officer who authorities say struck and killed a man with his squad car while intoxicated at the 2016 Gary Air Show has pleaded guilty but mentally ill.

Indianapolis police arrest protesters blocking traffic

May 15, 2018

Indianapolis police arrested several people who blocked a street outside the Statehouse as part of a nonviolent protest against poverty, racism and other issues. At least 14 demonstrators reportedly were arrested.

2 Indianapolis officers cleared in Aaron Bailey shooting death

May 11, 2018

The Indianapolis Civilian Police Merit Board has cleared two Indianapolis officers of wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of unarmed black motorist Aaron Bailey following a pursuit.

COA upholds exclusion of drug evidence from car search

May 10, 2018

Evidence taken from the search of a car after a man was stopped in Jennings County on a traffic violation was properly suppressed by the trial court, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Thursday.

South Bend must pay ex-female officer $80K in retaliation case

May 8, 2018

A federal judge has ordered a city in Indiana to pay more than $80,000 to a former female police officer who alleged the department illegally retaliated against her for accusing a male supervisor of sexual harassment.

Suspect in officer’s death was wanted in another killing

May 8, 2018

A 21-year-old man suspected of fatally shooting a Terre Haute police officer was wanted for questioning in another man’s killing when Friday’s deadly shootout unfolded, according to court documents filed Monday in a related case involving the alleged gunman’s girlfriend.

Police: Terre Haute cop killed by suspect spent 16 years on force

May 7, 2018

The Terre Haute Police Department has identified an officer who was killed in a shootout with a homicide suspect as a 16-year veteran of the force.

Institute for Justice asks Supreme Court to take civil forfeiture appeal

May 4, 2018

The Institute for Justice is asking the Indiana Supreme Court to grant immediate review to a case challenging Indiana’s civil forfeiture policy, arguing the practice of diverting forfeiture proceeds away from the Common School Fund is unconstitutional and encourages “policing for profit.”

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