Monthly Archives: January 2020

Criminal Rule 26 – New Rules For Bonding Out – Now In Effect

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Times Union Online

1/1/2020

Amanda Bridgman

New rules for bonding out of jail are in effect under Criminal Rule 26. The Indiana Supreme Court signed CR 26 into law to take effect in all courts Jan. 1, 2020, after two years of pilot programs in 11 counties. The rule is intended to improve pretrial practices in the state by encouraging trial […]

Double jeopardy found in gun convictions, but sentence affirmed

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The Indiana Lawyer

1/23/2020

Dave Stafford

A felon convicted on two gun charges and sentenced to an upper-range prison term received token relief from the Indiana Court of Appeals on Thursday, but he still is ordered to serve more than 10 years behind bars.

DCS worker’s attorney: Client being singled out for returning child to mother

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WTHR

12/2/2019

ANDERSON, Ind. (WTHR) — Police in Madison County are searching for a DCS caseworker indicted by a grand jury. It found Spencer Day Osborn should have never returned a 4-year-old boy to his mother. He’s now facing felony neglect of a dependent charges. Osborn had his initial hearing Wednesday afternoon. Osborn’s attorney Philip Sheward responded […]

Risk assessments for booked inmates take effect statewide

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The Indiana Lawyer

1/8/2020

Associated Press and IL Staff

A new Indiana rule requiring that booked inmates be assessed to determine risks or benefits of releasing them before trial is expected to eventually reduce overcrowding at the state’s county jails, criminal justice officials say. Criminal Rule 26, which set Indiana’s new pretrial release protocols, was adopted by the Indiana Supreme Court in 2017, but […]

Miami Valley Crime Lab to test Indiana drug evidence

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Dayton Daily News

1/8/2020

Chris Stewart

The Miami Valley Regional Crime Lab will soon be analyzing drug evidence for the Indiana State Police — the first contract with an out-of-state agency and one that may dramatically increase the lab’s caseload and benefit its bottom line. The contract approved by Montgomery County Commissioners on Tuesday calls for the lab to conduct solid-dose […]

Meth never left Daviess County

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Washington Times Herald

12/28/2019

Mike Grant

When the opioid problem hit rural Indiana it appeared that it would have a limited impact on Daviess County. The hit was nothing like the scourge that methamphetamine produced when it rolled into southwestern Indiana in the 1990s. Still, officials say the opioid problem did have an impact. “About two or three years ago we […]

Legislation Page Replaces Members Only on POPAI Website

1/22/2020

Karen Oeding

Today, our 2020 Bills to Follow page went live. You’ll find a list of bills that have been identified as interesting to follow by the POPAI Board. Members will no longer need to log in to view this information. It is now conveniently available to you with a single click from the far right side […]

New suicide hotline number to have three digits like 911

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The Associated Press

12/13/2019

“No one is embarrassed to call 911 for a fire or an emergency,” said the CEO of a suicide-prevention nonprofit. “No one should be embarrassed to call 988 for a mental health emergency.” Federal regulators are setting up a new three-digit number to reach a suicide prevention hotline in order to make it easier to […]

Uber Sexual Assault Report Spurs Calls for New Government Policies

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Route Fifty

12/8/2019

Emma Coleman

New data released by Uber showing almost 6,000 sexual assaults in last two years is prompting some officials to call for new requirements on ride-hailing companies to improve safety. Stories of people assaulted in ride-hailing vehicles have made frequent headlines in recent years, prompting calls from policymakers for companies to release data on the number of riders […]

Why a broken foster-care system is sending more kids to prison than college

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Kansas City Star

12/15/2019

Laura Bauer and Judy L. Thomas

He still has the last name of a woman who adopted him in grade school — then gave him back. From the time he was 3 until he turned 14, Dominic Williamson was bounced to 80 different foster homes. When he turned 18, he found himself alone and homeless, and resorting to a life of […]

Recreational pot is legal in Michigan and soon Illinois: What does that mean for Indiana?

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WTHR

12/3/2019

Mary Milz

INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) – Recreational marijuana is now legal in Michigan, with Illinois to follow January 1. That brings the number of states allowing recreational use to 11, with 33 states allowing for medical marijuana. Indiana is among the 16 states where marijuana use remains illegal in any form. But State Rep. Jim Lucas (R-Seymour) thinks […]

Rush Hails Progress, Calls For More In 2020 State Of The Judiciary

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Indiana Public Media

01/16/2020

Brandon Smith

Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush issued a call to arms for everyone involved in the state’s justice system in her annual State of the Judiciary Address Wednesday. Rush hailed much of the work that’s already been done in Indiana – from problem-solving courts to improved court technology to pretrial and criminal justice reform. But she […]

More than 100 public housing units in Bloomington to be renovated

Herald Times

1/7/2020

Emily Ernsberger

The Bloomington Housing Authority is looking for contractors to help complete a $7 million renovation project for more than 100 public housing units. Over the course of 18 months, 116 units in the Rev. E.D. Butler and Walnut Woods complexes will be renovated. Rhonda Moore, capital assets manager for the Bloomington Housing Authority, said the […]

Floyd County recognizes long-tenured probation officer

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News and Tribune

12/9/2019

John Boyle

NEW ALBANY — The day in Floyd County Circuit Court started off like any of the other annual swearing-in ceremonies for the county’s probation officers. More than a dozen officials renewed their oaths before judges Terrence Cody, James Hancock, Maria Granger and Magistrate Julie Fessel Flanigan on Monday. But at the end of the proceedings, […]

New Indiana Rule Adds Risk Assessments For Booked Inmates

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Indiana Public Media

01/06/2020

Associated Press

A new Indiana rule requiring that booked inmates be assessed to determine risks or benefits of releasing them before trial is expected to eventually reduce overcrowding at the state’s county jails, criminal justice officials said. Criminal Rule 26, which set Indiana’s new pretrial release protocols, was adopted by the Indiana Supreme Court in 2017 but […]

Franklin County Juvenile Court Shifts Course, Eliminating Probation Officers

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WOSU

12/4/2019

Adora Namigadde

Whitney Randolph goes into work every day knowing her job is coming to an end in a few months. Her Franklin County courtroom office has expansive windows that overlook the city. “Technically, it’s my department that’s going,” Randolph says with a laugh. “If you choose to stay and reapply for the new positions, you know […]

The Healthiest—and Unhealthiest—States

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Route Fifty

12/5/2019

Kate Elizabeth Queram

Reduced smoking rates, not much violent crime and low reports of sexually transmitted diseases make Vermont the healthiest state in the country, according to rankings released this week. Vermont is the healthiest state in the country thanks to decreased rates of smoking and mental distress, along with low incidences of violent crime and certain sexually […]

Indiana Supreme Court justice visits LaGrange County Monday

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The News Sun

12/3/2019

Patrick Redmond

LAGRANGE — Indiana State Supreme Court Justice Steven David returned to LaGrange County Monday, a guest of JDAI program director Randy Merrifield. David came to speak with local students in programs supported by the JDAI office and meet with local Amish businessmen. David has been to LaGrange County three times in the last two years […]

Ohio spends less per inmate, but imprisons more than many states

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The Center Square

12/4/2019

Todd DeFeo

Ohio imprisons 567 people per 100,000 residents, 15th most in the country, while spending $181 for every resident of the state to do so, a new analysis reveals. The review from HowMuch.net found Ohio spends less on a per capita basis than other nearby states, even as the number of people in prison in the state is higher than […]

‘Your Body Being Used’: Where Prisoners Who Can’t Vote Fill Voting Districts

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NPR

12/31/2019

Hansi Lo Wang and Kumari Devarajan

Robert Alexander has been away from home for more than a decade. His days and nights are spent locked up behind walls topped with barbed wire. “Prison kind of gives you that feeling that you’re like on an island,” says Alexander, 39, who is studying for a bachelor’s degree in biblical studies while serving his […]

Health Dept. launches teen anti-vaping campaign

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Greensburd Daily News

11/29/2019

Kevin Green

INDIANAPOLIS—The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) recently launched a public awareness campaign to educate youths about the dangers of e-cigarettes, or “vaping.” The “Behind the Haze” campaign is part of a $2 million effort announced by Governor Eric J. Holcomb and State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG, to reduce vaping among Indiana youth. […]

Getting them out of jail sooner

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The Michigan City News-Dispatch

11/27/2019

Ted Yoakum

La PORTE — In January, La Porte County officials will flip the switch on some significant overhauls to the criminal justice system — changes leaders hope will result in a smaller jail population. At its meeting Monday, the La Porte County Council approved the hiring and training of two new pretrial service officers at the […]

Why Abolishing Bail for Some Crimes has Law Enforcement on Edge

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The New York Times

12/31/2019

Jesse McKinley, Alan Feuer and Luis Ferré-Sadurní

ALBANY, N.Y. — When Democrats pushed through a law last spring that sharply curtailed cash bail for nonviolent defendants, they hailed it as a landmark measure to stop the poor from being jailed before trial simply because they had few resources. Now, as the rules take effect on Jan. 1, a backlash has arisen among […]

When you quit, here’s what happens to your mind and body

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Mic

12/16/2020

Melissa Pandika

Liz Benton recently quit weed after smoking it at least once a day for seven years — and the first week was especially brutal. Within two days of quitting, she experienced a panic attack. She struggled to fall asleep, and when she did, she’d have horrifying nightmares, or wake up in the middle of the night, […]