Articles

COA affirms 100-year sentence for 2 murders

A man with a history of mental illness was unable to convince the Indiana Court of Appeals that his 100-year sentence for his role in the murder of two market employees in Elkhart is inappropriate.

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Appeals court upholds teen’s 55-year sentence for murder

In a case of first impression, the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the 55-year sentence imposed on a juvenile waived into adult court for the murder of a friend. The teen claimed he should have been sentenced under the alternative sentencing scheme available for juveniles.

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Prosecutor to seek death penalty for mutilator

A prosecutor intends to seek the death penalty for a southern Indiana man who has confessed to fatally stabbing his girlfriend and mutilating her body, including cooking and eating some of her organs.

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Attorneys seek competency exam in homicide case

Attorneys for a 20-year-old Fort Wayne man charged with killing a woman in a cemetery and setting her body on fire have requested mental health experts examine him to determine if he is competent to stand trial.

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Enhancement to sentence upheld by COA

Finding Indiana’s criminal gang enhancement statute can be understood by individuals of ordinary intelligence, the Indiana Court of Appeals rejected a man’s challenge to his 175-year aggregate sentence.

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7th Circuit will hear killer’s appeal en banc

The full 7th Circuit Court of Appeals will decide whether an Arkansas man on death row should die for killing a Texas woman nearly 20 years ago. The judges decided Wednesday to grant Bruce Carneil Webster’s petition for rehearing en banc.

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Justices: Pattern Jury Instruction 9.05 is correct statement of law

Clearing up confusion among the courts as to whether a jury instruction regarding the definition of “intentionally” can include that the defendant intended to “cause the result” of his conduct, the Indiana Supreme Court affirmed Pattern Jury Instruction 9.05 represents a correct statement of the law.

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