COA reverses incest, child molesting convictions after double jeopardy violation
The Indiana Court of Appeals partially reversed a man’s conviction for child molesting and incest when it found a double jeopardy violation in the convictions.
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2 convicted in killings of 3 during drug-related robbery
Two young men have been convicted in connection with the 2017 drug-related robbery and fatal shootings of three men in an Indianapolis apartment. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office announced Monday that Troy Ward was convicted of c three counts of murder and three counts of felony murder, while Martell Williams was convicted of charges including three counts of felony murder, among other convictions for both.
Drug dealer’s conviction after failed sting operation affirmed
A man convicted of dealing heroin and sentenced to 12 years in prison after he cancelled a planned drug buy that law enforcement had set up with the help of a criminal informant lost his appeal Thursday.
Gun conviction involving testimony of daughter, 6, affirmed
An Indiana man’s federal conviction of two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm was affirmed over his challenge of the evidence against him, which included testimony from his 6-year-old daughter.
Coerced victim’s prior statement admissible, COA affirms
A victim unavailable to appear in court because of the defendant’s coercion to remain silent does not mean admitting her prior statements is considered hearsay, the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed Monday.
Man gets time-served after testifying in Indiana murder case
A 28-year-old man has been sentenced to time-served after he helped prosecutors convict another man in a central Indiana woman’s slaying during a robbery. He has been in jail more than 3 years.
COA rejects missing witnesses argument in murder appeal
A man convicted in a Marion County drug-related murder has lost his appeal of his conviction after the Indiana Court of Appeals determined the trial judge was not required to admonish the jury about the absence of two witnesses without a request from the parties.
Divided COA finds evidence of prior bad acts harmless
A majority of the Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld a Howard County man’s drug convictions and sentence, finding any error in the admission of evidence of prior bad acts was harmless. The dissent, however, provided a lengthy history of state and federal caselaw to highlight why she believed the error was prejudicial.
Mueller’s Russia probe shows it pays to cooperate
George Papadopoulos, taken by surprise by FBI agents at an airport last summer, now tweets smiling beach selfies with a Mykonos hashtag. Rick Gates, for weeks on home confinement with electronic monitoring, gets rapid approval for a family vacation and shaves down his potential prison time. Michael Flynn, once targeted in a grand jury investigation, travels cross-country to stump for a California congressional candidate and books a New York speaking event. The message is unmistakable: It pays to cooperate with the government.
COA upholds Kentucky man’s conviction for killing Indiana teen
A Kentucky man convicted in the shooting death of an Indiana teen lost his appeal of his murder conviction after the Indiana Court of Appeals found sufficient, properly obtained evidence to support his conviction.
Recent $35M verdict is among largest Indiana jury personal injury awards
Multi-million-dollar verdicts in personal injury cases are rare in Indiana, but they signify a jury’s determination to provide quality of life for the injured, practitioners say.
COA upholds prohibition on TV broadcast of court audio
The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld a trial court ruling that prohibited a Fort Wayne TV station from broadcasting audio from a sentencing hearing it obtained through a public records request, finding the trial court’s ruling complied with both local rules and the First Amendment.
First impression: Court may consider facilitated communication
The Indiana Court of Appeals in an issue of first impression Wednesday affirmed a trial court ruling that allowed a disabled minor to testify in a civil trial using facilitated communication.
Alleged victim of child molesting won’t testify in abuser’s presence
An 8-year-old girl who is alleged to be the victim of sexual abuse will not have to testify in the presence of her alleged abuser after the Indiana Court of Appeals determined the trial court erred in denying motions to allow the victim to testify via closed circuit television.
Appeals court affirms battery, neglect convictions despite errors
The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld a man’s battery and neglect convictions after finding that any error in the admission of certain testimony and evidence was harmless due because the properly admitted evidence was sufficient to prove the man’s guilt.
Appellate court affirms murder conviction in Indianapolis shooting
A man’s felony murder conviction, stemming from a shooting he was involved in when he was 17 years old, will stand after the Indiana Court of Appeals found Thursday the trial court did not err in excluding evidence or in considering testimony.
COA reaffirms legal malpractice suit may proceed
After granting rehearing to clarify the difference between the instant legal malpractice case and previous malpractice caselaw, the Indiana Court of Appeals on Tuesday reaffirmed its previous decision to deny summary judgment to a northern Indiana law firm.
COA upholds child molesting convictions
The Indiana Court of Appeals upheld a Marion County man’s various convictions for child molesting Monday, finding that the testimony of a pediatrician who examined the victim did not constitute vouching testimony.
Toddler’s testimony supports adjudication as a delinquent
Despite the three-year-old’s questionable testimony at a hearing, the Court of Appeals affirmed her stepbrother’s adjudication as a delinquent child because she never wavered when recounting the molestation.
Despite inadmissible testimony, molestation conviction affirmed
A trial court erred in allowing evidence of a defendant’s alleged prior bad acts at his child molestation jury trial, but based on other corroborating evidence, the admission was harmless, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday.