Ex-Indiana DCS case manager allegedly falsified records
A former family case manager for Indiana’s child welfare agency allegedly falsified records involving child abuse or neglect and falsely documented contact with four families.
Official misconduct
Articles
Jury convicts Indianapolis police officer who struck student
A jury has found an Indianapolis police officer guilty of official misconduct and perjury in connection with an incident in which a student was punched after officers broke up a fight inside a high school.
Indianapolis officer faces excessive force charges
An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department sergeant faces two felony charges and a recommendation to be fired after body camera video showed him using excessive force during a recent arrest, authorities said Tuesday.
7th Circuit reverses conspiracy convictions for trustee’s administrative assistant in official misconduct case
The administrative assistant to the former Calumet Township Trustee who pled guilty to federal charges has had her own convictions related to wire fraud reversed after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found she should have been granted a mistrial on Fourth Amendment grounds.
Whistleblower blasts Biden pick for key DOJ job over deal in sex case
President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the U.S. Justice Department’s criminal division is facing new scrutiny over a plea deal he brokered with a Louisiana district attorney who was accused of coercing sexual favors from as many as two dozen women.
Muncie police face new excessive force, false reporting charges
Three Muncie police officers are facing new allegations of using excessive force then attempting to cover up their actions after a new federal indictment. A fourth officer not previously indicted is now also being charged with a federal crime.
Jury convicts former Portage mayor of bribery in retrial
A federal jury convicted a former northwestern Indiana mayor on a bribery charge Friday in his retrial on allegations he solicited and accepted a $13,000 bribe from a trucking company.
Jury selection set in ex-Portage mayor’s bribery retrial
Jury selection is set to begin Monday in a former northwestern Indiana mayor’s long-delayed retrial on a federal charge alleging that he solicited a bribe from two businessmen.
Indiana woman admits spending $86K in public funds on self
A Jay County woman has pleaded guilty to diverting more than $86,000 in public funds and spending it on personal indulgences during her time as a township trustee.
Ex-Johnson County Prosecutor Cooper gets 4-year suspension
The former Johnson County prosecutor who was convicted of assaulting his former girlfriend and attempting to cover up his crime was suspended from the practice of law for four years Wednesday without automatic reinstatement.
Law enforcement reform bill advances with bipartisan support
A bipartisan bill aimed at increasing police accountability and enacting criminal justice reform advanced to the Indiana Senate after lawmakers unanimously approved the measure in a House vote Tuesday.
Supreme Court ends Trump emoluments lawsuits
The United States Supreme Court on Monday brought an end to lawsuits over whether Donald Trump illegally profited off his presidency, saying the cases are moot now that Trump is no longer in office.
Former Whiting mayor who stole money to gamble avoids prison
A former Whiting mayor who pleaded guilty to charges that he spent about a quarter-million dollars in campaign funds to gamble and pay personal bills avoided prison on Wednesday when a federal judge ordered he be placed on two years’ probation and home detention for one year.
Columbus police officer arrested for battery, misconduct
A Columbus police officer was arrested Tuesday on felony battery and official misconduct charges for allegedly slugging a suspect who was handcuffed in the back of a patrol vehicle, Indiana State Police said.
AG Hill ordered to pay $19K in disciplinary costs
The Indiana Supreme Court has ordered Republican Attorney General Curtis Hill to pay more than $19,000 in expenses in a disciplinary case stemming from allegations he groped a state lawmaker and three other women during a party.
Sentencing set for ex-Whiting mayor over campaign fund misuse
A former northwestern Indiana mayor faces a January sentencing after pleading guilty to charges that he illegally used public campaign donations to cover gambling losses.
Terre Haute election fraud case to be highlighted at Southern District Court history symposium
The third and final fall virtual continuing legal education event hosted by the Court Historical Society of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana will take place next week.
Justices set to hear several oral arguments next week
Indiana Supreme Court justices will hear oral arguments next week in several cases including a slip-and-fall dispute, a mayor’s misuse use of bond funds, and a home detainee’s escape.
Judge changes course, opts to keep ex-mayor’s bribery case
A federal judge who last week recused herself from the bribery case of a former northwestern Indiana mayor has changed course and will preside over the man’s retrial after all.
COA orders acquittal of Long Beach man convicted of of fatally shooting wife
The Indiana Court of Appeals on Monday ordered the acquittal of John Larkin, convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the 2012 shooting death of his wife. In overturning the verdict, the appellate panel concluded the LaPorte Superior Court erred in instructing Larkin’s jury. The years-long case was marked by police and prosecutorial misconduct.