December 2016

Arrests for drunk driving (AKA operating a vehicle while intoxicated or driving under influence) is one of the most common arrests in Indiana.  According to the most recent statistics from MADD, Indiana had over 14,000 drunk driving arrests in 2014.  In order to combat drunk driving, police actively patrol for drunk drivers every day. Once a police officer has stopped a suspected drunk driver they will do a number of field sobriety tests to determine…

How to Go About Changing Your Name as an Adult Pick a name, any name.   You can refer to yourself as anything you choose.   The ridiculousness level of a chosen name does not matter.  However, all government and legal documents must reference your legal name.   In Indiana, your name can be changed by life-changing events such as adoption, marriage or divorce.   It is also possible to change a name pursuant to Indiana Code 34-28-2. With…

A Quick Look at How Grand Juries Work in Indiana: In previous blogs, we’ve discussed some of the various ways that criminal proceedings may be initiated against a person.  Most often a person is facing charges after a charging information, which is signed by the prosecuting attorney, is filed with the court.  The other way formal criminal proceedings begin is by an indictment, which is the initiation of charges following a grand jury proceeding.  A…

A Look at Pirtle Warnings – What Officers Must Say Before Searching Your Car or Home Most people today are well aware of the Miranda rights that are typically read by a police officer right before they are arrested and put into custody. The Miranda rights can be used to protect an individual from saying anything that may incriminate them. These rights are invoked when a person in any way indicates that they wish to…