Feds award Indiana $1.2M for opioid response in rural areas
A federal agency has awarded Indiana $1.2 million to further the state’s efforts to fight the opioid epidemic in rural areas.
mental health
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ACLU report highlights Indiana’s prison problem
While acknowledging Indiana’s efforts to reform its criminal justice system has slowed the growth of the state’s prison population, a new report by the ACLU of Indiana asserts that additional reforms, including expanded access to treatment for mental health and substance abuse, could reduce the number of incarcerated by 50 percent and save Hoosier taxpayers more than $541 million by 2025.
Majority justices won’t hear more commitment appeals lacking judge’s signature
Indiana Supreme Court justices split over whether to grant transfer in two civil commitment order cases last week but granted transfer in two similar cases in a per curiam opinion that disapproved of a Marion County judge’s practice of permitting a presiding commissioner to sign the orders in his place.
Supreme Court: Summarily approved commitment orders not valid
The Indiana Supreme Court has expressly disapproved of a Marion County judge’s practice of summarily approving civil commitment orders individually reviewed by the presiding commissioner, though the justices also noted that the fact that the defendants' commitment orders have expired makes their appeals moot.
Restorative justice mediation fosters accountability, lets victims be heard
Mediators who work in restorative justice programs around Indiana say the program allows offenders and victims the chance to see each other as human, and perhaps increase accountability and understanding.
Rockville man gets 30 years in wife’s beating death
A western Indiana man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to fatally punching his wife.
Ruling striking law in homeless case mirrors Indianapolis debate
A California federal appeals court ruling that homeless individuals cannot be criminally charged for sleeping on public property reflected sentiments last fall that helped stop a proposed Indianapolis ordinance that barred people from sitting or lying on public property during certain hours.
Amended ‘red flag law’ bill advances out of Senate
A firearms-related bill aiming to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals received the go-ahead to advance in the statehouse Tuesday, taking one step closer to becoming law.
At launch of 100th problem-solving court, judges hail results
As Indiana’s 100th problem-solving court begins operations in Pulaski County, jurists presiding over the 99 established courts praise the problem-solving initiative as an innovative approach to addressing personal and societal woes.
Reversal: COA orders return of once-‘dangerous’ man’s 51 guns
After more than six years of being considered statutorily “dangerous” and unfit to possess firearms, a man whose 51 guns were taken from him by the state for his bizarre behavior will have them returned to his care.
Gun bill to close gap in ‘red flag law’ passes Senate committee
A bill that would allow Indiana law enforcement to prevent people who are deemed dangerous from purchasing a firearm pursuant to the state’s “red flag law” passed after an hours-long committee hearing Wednesday.
COA upholds trial court’s denial of motion to waive juvenile murder delinquent to adult court
The Indiana Court of Appeals declined to reverse a trial court’s decision not to waive a juvenile murder case to adult court after it concluded there was sufficient evidence to support the decision.
COA affirms commitment for woman with suicidal ideations
An Indiana appellate panel affirmed the commitment and forced-medication order of a woman found to be a danger to herself, finding there was clear and convincing evidence to support both orders despite her contentions otherwise.
In heartbreak of death penalty case, attorneys find inspiration
Indianapolis attorneys had spent years — one nearly two decades — trying to secure justice for Domineque Ray, an inmate on Alabama’s death row. Their efforts were defeated Feb. 7, when Ray was executed before their eyes.
Justices grant transfer in three juvenile, young adult cases
The Indiana Supreme Court chose to grant transfer to three cases during the past week, including commitments to the Indiana Department of Corrections. The court also granted transfer and decided a case granting relief to a deported “Dreamer.”
Hamilton County implements program to stop opioid overdoses
An opioid overdose prevention program has been started in Hamilton County.
Man seeks return of 51 guns taken under ‘red flag law’
An Indianapolis man is again petitioning for the return of his 51 confiscated firearms after a judge previously determined him dangerous due to his bizarre behavior near a Bloomington bar. But an Indiana Court of Appeals panel Tuesday seemed to struggle with the argument that he was still dangerous six years later.
US Supreme Court rules out death penalty for Texas inmate
A long legal fight over whether a Texas death row inmate could be executed ended Tuesday after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the 59-year-old man is intellectually disabled and thus cannot be put to death.
7th Circuit remands disability case on ALJ’s improper assessment
A decision denying a man’s application for disability and supplemental security income was remanded after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found an administrative law judge erroneously discredited him and improperly assessed his functional abilities.
Mass. woman begins jail sentence for texting-suicide conviction
A Massachusetts woman who sent her suicidal boyfriend a barrage of text messages urging him to kill himself was jailed Monday on an involuntary manslaughter conviction nearly five years after he died in a truck filled with toxic gas.