Editor’s Note: This report is a condensed version of the legislation enacted in the 2015 session of the Indiana General Assembly and only contains highlights of selected bills. The entire text of any law, as well as any other legislative action, is available at: http://www.iga.in.gov. Constitutional Amendments SJR 2 Right to Hunt, Fish and Harvest Wildlife – Passed Twice and Goes to Voters Hunting and fishing are the … [Read more...] about 2015 Legislative Review
Criminal
Electronic Communications and Search and Arrest Warrants
The Indiana General Assembly in 2014 recognized the expanding methods we are using to communicate by amending the statute dealing with search and arrest warrants. House Enrolled Act 1009 (Public Law 170-2014) defined electronic communication service as one that provides users with the ability to send or receive wire or electronic communications. Judges and law enforcement officers in several Indiana counties have … [Read more...] about Electronic Communications and Search and Arrest Warrants
Indiana Public Defender Commission: Providing Legal Counsel for the Indigent
Criminal and juvenile cases now constitute almost half of all cases filed in Indiana (excluding infractions). Criminal and juvenile cases require the court-appointment of counsel if the defendant is indigent. When this occurs, judges must select from a relatively small pool of attorneys who are potentially eligible for appointment. Fifty-five of Indiana’s ninety-two counties have joined the state-funded public d … [Read more...] about Indiana Public Defender Commission: Providing Legal Counsel for the Indigent
One and Done: How INcite is reducing redundant DNA collection
One of the responsibilities of probation officers is to collect body fluid samples from clients to test for the presence of drugs or alcohol when that is a condition of their probation. But did you also know that Indiana law requires officers to collect a DNA sample for persons convicted of a felony? The Indiana General Assembly adopted this requirement in 2005. When a court sentences a defendant directly to the … [Read more...] about One and Done: How INcite is reducing redundant DNA collection
Children Who Witness Violence
I once heard a judge compare her civil protection order docket to an emergency room—especially the ex parte cases. What an apt comparison! Judges and court staff often deal with people who have been physically, mentally, and emotionally traumatized when they consider ex parte protection orders. Violence of any kind is traumatic to human beings, and children, who lack the experience and coping skills of adults, are a … [Read more...] about Children Who Witness Violence