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…

Most people assume that in order for a criminal case to be brought against you, you must be arrested first. What most people don’t realize is that a criminal case can be brought against you one of three different ways. This blog will discuss each option. In a nutshell, regardless of how you end up in court under the three options below, once you are in court, criminal cases all follow the same procedure —…

Dividing Up the Marital Pot: Debts & Assets Determining how to divide assets and debts is an important and necessary part of the divorce process.   The marital residence is part of the “marital pot” to be divided.  Sometimes it is an asset while other times there is debt associated with the home that should be divided.  See our blog What Makes Up a Marital Pot? for more on how Indiana views the division of assets….

Below is a chart to help understand the possible penalties that can come with being charged with a crime in Indiana.  The chart has been organized from most serious to least serious levels of crime.  Murder is in its own category because it carries a higher penalty than any other type of crime.  The chart shows the minimum and maximum sentences.  The advisory sentence is the sentence that the legislature has recommended to the judges…

Understanding the BMV’s Point System Nearly everyone who has driven an automobile has been pulled over by a police officer at some point for one reason or another and many know that if that officer gives them a ticket then their license is exposed to a certain number of points.  Most also know that having points on your license isn’t good.  However, what many don’t know is what those points actually mean and what may…