7th Circuit: Meth weight needs only preponderance of evidence
Determining drug quantities at sentencing is not an exact science and requires only proof by a preponderance of the evidence, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Wednesday.
Weapons
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Judge blocks release of 3D-printed gun plans
A federal judge in Seattle on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order to stop the release of blueprints to make untraceable and undetectable 3D-printed plastic guns. Eight Democratic attorneys general sued Monday to block a settlement with the government that would have allowed blueprints to be published online.
Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh’s gun views are clear
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh says he recognizes that gun, drug and gang violence “has plagued all of us.” Still, he believes the Constitution limits how far government can go to restrict gun use to prevent crime.
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.
MGM sues Vegas shooting victims in push to avoid liability
MGM Resorts International has sued hundreds of victims of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history in a bid to avoid liability for the gunfire that rained down from its Mandalay Bay casino-resort in Las Vegas. The company argues in lawsuits filed in Nevada, California, New York and other states this week and last that it has “no liability of any kind” to survivors or families of slain victims under a federal law enacted after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
COA: Admitted evidence of prior threats reveals motive for attempted murder
After a man argued that prior threats he made against a man he repeatedly shot at two months later should not have been admitted as evidence, the Indiana Court of Appeals concluded that even if the admission of the threats was error, it would have been harmless.
Judge accused of bringing gun into Chicago courthouse
A judge is charged with carrying a concealed weapon in a prohibited area after he was caught on video dropping a gun in a Chicago courthouse.
Indiana program to provide schools with free metal detectors
A new state program will equip Indiana schools with free handheld metal detectors next month, when most of the state’s school districts start the new academic year.
Supreme Court enjoys relatively high public confidence
The next Supreme Court justice will join the bench at a time when the public has more confidence in the high court than in Congress or the presidency. A Gallup survey in June found 37 percent of Americans have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in the court, while another 42 percent have “some” confidence. Only 18 percent have little or no confidence in the court.
Camby man charged after child fires gun inside Ikea store
A suburban Indianapolis man accused of dropping a loaded handgun in a Fishers Ikea store that was found — and fired — by a child has been charged.
Justices vacate juvenile gun adjudication as double jeopardy
Indiana Supreme Court justices affirmed in part a Marion Superior Court decision on Monday that found a 16-year-old delinquent. Justices affirmed the teen’s dangerous possession of a firearm adjudication but vacated his adjudication for carrying a handgun without a license, as both the state and defense agreed it constituted double jeopardy.
Men charged in ATF agent’s shooting plead not guilty
Two men have pleaded not guilty to federal charges in Hammond stemming from an Indiana shootout that killed a third man and wounded an agent of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Lake Station man gets 70 years in prison for girlfriend’s death
A Lake Station man convicted of killing his girlfriend has been sentenced to 70 years in prison. Jovanni Torres, 32, was sentenced Friday to 60 years for murder and 10 years for using a firearm in the crime.
Crown Point couple charged with neglect after boy shoots self
A Crown Point couple has been charged with neglect after a young boy they were babysitting found a gun in a bedroom and fatally shot himself. Rachel Lynn Griffin, 24, and Brett A. Beatty, 29, were charged Tuesday in Lake Superior Court with neglect of a dependent resulting in death and neglect of a dependent related to the death of 4-year-old Eric Cole.
Accomplice sentenced in kidnapping, slayings of Gary brothers
An accomplice in the 2015 kidnapping and slayings of two teenage brothers in Gary has been sentenced to 12 years in prison. Kiontay Cason, 24, apologized in court for his role in the murders of 18-year-old Arreon Lackey and 16-year-old Antonio Lackey.
Three defendants face federal charges related to killings of two police officers
Three individuals linked to the killings of Boone County Deputy Jacob Pickett and Terre Haute Police Officer Robert Pitts now face federal charges for the illegal purchase and possession of firearms used in those killings. Dawn Rochon, Tiffany Dean Levi Brenton have been charged for their role in illegally purchasing and possessing firearms eventually used to kill Pickett and Pitts earlier this year.
Study: Gun removal law reduces suicides in Indiana
An Indiana law allowing authorities to temporarily remove guns from those considered a risk to others or themselves has helped reduce the state’s firearm-related suicides, according to a University of Indianapolis study.
Justices to hear product liability, juvenile firearms cases
The Indiana Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Thursday in an injury-related product liability case involving a handheld power tool and in a case weighing whether a juvenile may be adjudicated delinquent for carrying a handgun without a license.
Griffith woman charged after daughter shot at Illinois party
A Griffith woman has been charged after police say she accidentally shot her 5-year-old daughter during a party at a suburban Chicago home.
Teacher who stopped Noblesville attack says he had to save students
The Noblesville teacher who was shot while tackling and disarming a student inside his classroom said Monday that his swift decisions “were the only acceptable actions” to save his seventh-grade students. Jason Seaman was shot three times during a shooting May 25 at Noblesville West Middle School.