Indy 16-year-old pleads guilty to killing siblings, gets 40 years
An Indianapolis teenager charged as an adult pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of murder in the August shooting deaths of two siblings.
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COA affirms charges brought under new cause number
The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed the denial of a man’s motion to dismiss charges brought against him in a new cause after the state sought to refile the case to tidy up the record, finding no abuse of discretion in the decision.
Ex-South Bend officer justified in black man’s killing
A special prosecutor announced Friday that a white former South Bend police officer was justified in the fatal shooting of an African American man last summer and that he won’t be charged in the killing that roiled then-Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign.
Judges portrayed as aggressors in gunman’s self-defense claim
Did Brandon Kaiser pull the trigger on two Indiana judges only after they attacked him and placed him in fear for his life? He claims in court filings they did. But even as the judges involved in the now-infamous brawl have retaken the bench after brief suspensions, video that could prove conclusive remains under a court seal.
Domestic battery charges against Lake County official dismissed
Six domestic battery charges have been dismissed against Lake County Recorder Michael B. Brown after his attorneys provided prosecutors with videos showing the alleged victim hitting him in front of children several times and defecating on his personal belongings.
SCOTUS considering South Bend abortion clinic case without evidence of clinic corrections
The bid to take yet another Indiana abortion case to the United States Supreme Court will proceed without evidence of a South Bend abortion clinic’s efforts to correct state licensing violations. The procedural ruling comes as the nation’s highest court is set to consider the case in conference Friday.
4 Indianapolis teens charged in fatal shooting of 3 men, 1 woman
Four teenagers were charged with murder Wednesday in the fatal shooting of three young men and a young woman found slain in a ransacked Indianapolis apartment, authorities said.
Source: AG Barr tells people he might quit over Trump tweets
Attorney General William Barr has told people close to him he’s considering quitting his post after President Donald Trump wouldn’t heed his warning to stop tweeting about Justice Department cases, an administration official told The Associated Press.
Suspension recommendation casts further uncertainty on AG Hill’s future
The hearing officer presiding over the attorney discipline case against Attorney General Curtis Hill is recommending a 60-day suspension of Hill’s law license, without automatic reinstatement. But how that recommendation might affect Hill’s status as AG or his re-election campaign remains to be seen.
Man sentenced to 4 years in E. Chicago shooting death
A 19-year-old Indiana man was sentenced to serve four years in prison Friday after pleading guilty to the fatal shooting of an innocent bystander during a shootout with police.
Mother of 3 kids killed in bus stop crash avoids charges
A northern Indiana mother of three children killed as they were crossing a rural, two-lane highway to get on a school bus will not face charges for attacking the driver who had just been sentenced to prison for the crash, prosecutors said Friday.
Suit: Woman wrongly fired after rejecting Vanderburgh prosecutor’s advances
An Evansville woman says she was fired from her job at the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office after she refused the advances of the county prosecutor, who she alleges handcuffed her, showed her a gun and tried to prevent her from leaving his hotel room during a business trip.
Hammond woman pleads guilty to scalding toddler son in bath
A northwestern Indiana woman faces at least three years in prison after she pleaded guilty to scalding her toddler. Cristiana Mendez, 23, of Hammond, pleaded guilty Thursday to neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury.
Off-duty Plainfield officer arrested for drunk driving
An off-duty Plainfield police officer responding to an emergency call has been arrested for allegedly driving drunk, authorities said. Patrick Tucker, 33, was among several officers responding to a situation Friday, according to the Plainfield Police Department.
3 arrested in connection with slaying, kidnapping in Kokomo
Three men have been arrested in connection with a woman’s killing in Kokomo and the alleged kidnapping of a man discovered bound in a bathtub, police said Thursday.
Former prosecutor Brizzi to seek GOP nomination in 5th District race
Former Marion County prosecutor Carl Brizzi is joining the crowded field of Republicans seeking nomination to run for Indiana’s 5th Congressional District.
Senator drops push to force Indiana marijuana prosecutions
A Republican state senator has dropped a proposal attacking what he called “social justice prosecution” by empowering Indiana’s attorney general to appoint special prosecutors to take over criminal cases that local authorities decide they won’t pursue.
Justice by geography? Bill aims to bring uniformity to indigency determinations
Across Indiana, lawyers say judges in different counties often take different approaches to making an indigency determination. That’s led to what some call “justice by geography” — that is, a person facing charges might be deemed indigent in one county, but the same person facing the same charges in another county might be found to have the ability to pay. A Senate bill seeks a statewide standard.
Prosecutor fighting discipline over role in police sex investigation
The elected prosecutor of Knox County in southwestern Indiana faces an attorney discipline case related to his conduct stemming from a local police investigation into his former chief deputy prosecutor’s relationship with a woman who was serving time on drug charges. An attorney for the prosecutor, however, is contesting the discipline case and says the prosecutor is the victim of a vendetta born of the small-town rumor mill.
‘Social justice prosecuting’ bill advances despite opposition
Despite opposition from nearly all of the organizations and individuals who testified, a bill that would allow the attorney general to appoint a special prosecutor over certain cases that a local prosecutor declines to prosecute advanced out of an Indiana Senate committee.