Man’s family sues police over his suicide at Indiana jail
The family of a man who took his own life in the Howard County Jail in Kokomo is suing local police, alleging his death was avoidable.
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Porter County to offer genetic tests for juvenile offenders
The juvenile court for northwestern Indiana’s Porter County is partnering with a laboratory to offer genetic testing for young offenders to help see what psychiatric medications might help them.
JLAP: Bar associations tackle lawyer wellness issues
Lawyers are fixers. We fix things other people have messed up. So, obviously, we like to project a persona that is not in need of fixing. We hold ourselves to a high standard to get new clients, bill more hours, finish an opinion, bring that next charge, defend the next client … always perfectly. And that’s the crux. Because, of course, we are not perfect. But that desire to be so affects our wellness and can lead to substance use disorder, anxiety, depression and grief.
Justices consider PCR for Gary man convicted in slaying
He was convicted in 2013 of brutally killing his wife and two stepchildren. His death sentence has already been upheld on direct appeal, but Kevin Isom is again asking the Indiana Supreme Court to give him another chance at a sentence less than death.
Justices beef up molester’s sentence slashed in prior appeal
A former southern Indiana teacher who repeatedly molested a student from the age of 12 will serve 60 years in prison, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled Friday, discarding an Indiana Court of Appeals ruling that had slashed the man’s sentence from 70 years to 30 years in prison.
Indiana’s struggle with insanity defense mirrors coming SCOTUS case
A case that split the Indiana Supreme Court last December over a criminal defendant’s mental capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of her actions dovetails into a larger question looming before the U.S. Supreme Court — whether states have to provide laws that allow for an insanity defense.
State health department receiving $21M grant to combat drug overdoses
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded the Indiana State Department of Health a three-year, $21 million grant to help prevent and detect drug overdoses.
Man accused of strangling mom found incompetent for trial
A judge has ruled a Fort Wayne man who told police that he was possessed by demons and Adolf Hitler when he allegedly strangled his mother isn’t competent to stand trial.
Woman freed after murder conviction vacated in 2001 slaying
An Indiana woman who successfully argued she had ineffective legal counsel at her murder trial for the 2001 slaying of her boyfriend in Lafayette during a sex game has been released.
Vincennes father gets 65-year term for son’s strangulation
A judge has sentenced a southwestern Indiana man to 65 years in prison for fatally strangling his 5-year-old son. The sentencing on Friday came after 55-year-old Robert Baldwin of Vincennes pleaded guilty but mentally ill in June for Gabriel Baldwin’s 2017 death.
Psych exam sought for trucker charged in fatal Indianapolis crash
A defense attorney is seeking a psychiatric exam for the semi driver charged with causing a highway construction zone crash in Indianapolis that killed a woman and her 18-month-old twin daughters. Defense attorney Jack Crawford says he’s seeking medical records from when Bruce Pollard said he suffered serious head injuries four years ago.
Psych exam ordered for man accused of firing gun at VA hospital
A federal judge has ordered a mental health evaluation for an Indianapolis man accused of opening fire at a Chicago veterans hospital earlier this month.
Jury selection begins for Clark County man accused of murder, cannibalism
Jury selection began Monday in the trial of a southern Indiana man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and eating parts of her body nearly five years ago. Prosecutors say Joseph Oberhansley, 38, broke into the Jeffersonville home of his 46-year-old ex-girlfriend, Tammy Jo Blanton, in September 2014, and then raped her, fatally stabbed her and ate parts of her body.
Indiana gets $8.4M from HHS to fight opioid epidemic
A federal agency has awarded Indiana $8.4 million to help fight the opioid epidemic by boosting access to substance abuse treatment and mental health services.
7th Circuit vacates denial of disability benefits to woman with mental illness
A bipolar woman’s application for disability benefits will be reconsidered after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals concluded an administrative law judge failed to consider her treating psychiatrist’s opinions in its denial.
Fort Wayne man guilty of killing 4 sentenced to 300 years
A Fort Wayne man who pleaded guilty to four counts of murder in the deaths of four people, including his unborn child, was sentenced to 300 years in prison.
Boy who shot trooper dad to get mental health treatment
An Indiana boy who authorities say shot and wounded his state-trooper father because he was upset that his parents took away his video games will get mental health treatment at a secure facility.
Murtaugh: Big law mental health media coverage soars in 2019
Within legal media, mental health made the jump from invisible to mainstream this year. There is now compelling evidence that it is OK for attorneys to talk about their mental health struggles publicly or disclose them to their employers.
COA: Claim of man killed by kick falls under Medical Malpractice Act
A man’s estate could not convince an appellate panel that a psychiatric center where he was staying was liable for his death based on the theory of premises liability after he died from injuries sustained after he was kicked by an employee.
Elkhart man revives efforts for new trial in 2002 murder
A mentally disabled man serving a 55-year prison sentence for an Elkhart murder 17 years ago that he maintains he did not commit is reviving his efforts for post-conviction relief, presenting new evidence in a petition he claims exonerates him.