Man withdraws effort challenging conviction in officer’s death
A man who was sentenced to life in prison without parole for fatally shooting a Gary police officer in 2014 has withdrawn his effort to challenge his conviction.
Prosecutors
Articles
Are additional Celadon execs in prosecutors’ sights?
Federal prosecutors in late April accused the Indianapolis-based trucking company Celadon Group Inc. of engineering a sweeping accounting fraud that hid losses in the tens of millions of dollars, and they announced a felony charge against one of the company’s former executives. But if the fraud was so sweeping, why did prosecutors charge just one person and spare other former top executives (at least so far)?
Man withdraws effort challenging conviction in Gary officer’s death
A man who was sentenced to life in prison without parole for fatally shooting a northwestern Indiana police officer in 2014 has withdrawn his effort to challenge his conviction. Carl Le’Ellis Blount filed a petition last year alleging Lake County prosecutors threatened him to get him to plead guilty to murder in the shooting death of Gary Patrolman Jeffrey Westerfield, but he asked to withdraw his petition in April.
Fatal shooting of man by Clarksville officer ruled justified
A prosecutor has decided that the fatal shooting of a southern Indiana man by a police officer after the man refused to drop a gun was justified. Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull reviewed the investigation from Indiana State Police and determined no charges would be filed in the death of 43-year-old Max David Helton of Clarksville.
Prosecutors: Divorcing Greenwood couple left dog to starve
Prosecutors say a suburban Indianapolis couple who vacated their home during divorce proceedings left their dog behind to starve to death. Michael S. Setser of Greenwood faces a misdemeanor charge of abandonment or neglect of a vertebrate animal, and Amanda Setser of Franklin faces a misdemeanor animal cruelty charge.
Reversal reinstates wrongful arrest suit against conservation officer
Summary judgment for a conservation officer was reversed Thursday after the Indiana Court of Appeals found, among other things, that his actions in procuring the prosecution of a woman who killed his dog were not noncriminal.
COA affirms civil suit rulings against ex-insurer convicted of theft
A formerly licensed insurer investigated and convicted of felony theft failed to convince an appellate panel that judgment was erroneously granted to the Indiana State Department of Insurance and a Putnam County prosecutor on the pleadings of his suit against them.
Prosecutor Cooper facing 540 days of probation for guilty pleas
Elected Johnson County prosecutor Bradley D. Cooper pleaded guilty Monday to felony and misdemeanor charges, including criminal confinement and domestic battery. A plea agreement calls for him to serve 540 days of probation.
AG Hill’s attorney discipline case raises new questions
The disciplinary complaint against Hill raises new questions about the disciplinary process itself, including who can preside over the proceedings and what would happen if the state’s chief legal officer loses his law license, even temporarily. But those questions aside, ethics attorneys say Hill’s status as a prominent elected official shouldn’t have any bearing on the nuts and bolts of the discipline process.
Disciplinary Commission: AG Hill claiming he is above ethics rules
The Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission has accused Attorney General Curtis Hill of seeking special treatment in the disciplinary proceedings brought against him, arguing in court filings that Hill’s case must go before a hearing panel to protect the public interest.
Senate OKs bill banning release of details in child deaths
The Indiana Senate has unanimously approved a bill that would ban the release of details in child neglect or abuse deaths to safeguard criminal cases.
Supreme Court set for case on racial bias in jury selection
Curtis Flowers has been jailed in Mississippi for 22 years, even as prosecutors couldn’t get a murder conviction against him to stick through five trials. This week, the Supreme Court will consider whether his conviction and death sentence in a sixth trial should stand or be overturned for a familiar reason: because prosecutors improperly kept African-Americans off the jury.
Ex-Trump campaign boss Manafort to be sentenced in tax fraud
When former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is sentenced for tax and bank fraud , U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III will likely issue the same lecture he gives to drug dealers and bank robbers.
Bont: Pinstriped pants and handcuffs: Inside a high-profile case
In an ironic example of the blue-collar/white-collar dichotomy in golf, right around the time that Tiger Woods was running his Escalade into a fire hydrant after failing to keep Vegas in Vegas, Phil Mickelson found himself subjected to an insider trading investigation.
Split 7th Circuit slams Indiana attorneys in grant of habeas petition
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals granted a man’s habeas corpus petition — and offered harsh comments for Indiana defense attorneys — after finding ineffective assistance of counsel for a man whose attorney blatantly disregarded an opportunity to object to amended charges filed late.
Justices halt removal of Yorktown clerk-treasurer from office
Efforts to forcibly remove a Yorktown clerk-treasurer from her elected office faced a setback Wednesday when the Indiana Supreme Court affirmed a trial court’s decision finding the officer’s failure to keep track of town finances did not result in a general failure to perform her official duties.
Full Senate set to consider juvenile attempted murder waiver legislation
The full Indiana Senate on Tuesday will consider legislation that would waive Hoosier children as young as 12 into adult court if they are charged with attempted murder.
Parents surrender on charges in 4-month-old’s heroin death
The parents of a 4-month-old boy who are facing neglect charges after the child died last February of heroin intoxication in Madison County have turned themselves in to authorities. The Madison County Prosecutor’s Office this month charged 28-year-old Daniel E. Jones and 29-year-old Tiffany McNutt of Alexandria with felony neglect of a dependent.
Indiana school shooting might prompt juvenile law change
Indiana law might be changed so that children as young as 12 could face attempted murder charges in adult court in a move prompted by a suburban Indianapolis school shooting.
US soldier charged in wife’s killing flees to Thailand
A 21-year-old U.S. soldier is accused of flying to Indianapolis from Colorado to kill his estranged wife, then dumping her body in a trash bin and fleeing to Thailand.