There is a gamut of procedures that the courts must follow that encompasses criminal law. First, it is reported that someone has allegedly committed a crime. Second, there must be probable cause to try that individual for that specific crime, and in the justice system, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Third, the defendant has a choice to enter a plea agreement or proceed forward with a bench trial or a jury trial. If the…
One of the most common charges we see as criminal defense attorneys is the crime of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. This many times comes with the charges of Operating a vehicle with a BAC of .08 to .14 or Operating a vehicle with a BAC of .15 or more. But, where do those BAC results come from? In Indiana the primary source is a breath test machine. In today’s blog we take a closer…
A paternity affidavit is a legal document that, “permits a man and a woman to declare, under penalty of perjury, that the man is the biological father of a child”. Paternity affidavits are not required to prove paternity when a child is born during a marriage or within 300 days of a divorce. In those situations, the husband of the biological mother is presumed to be the biological father of the child. For situations where…
May 9, 2017 the Indiana Supreme Court made a ruling in the case of Thomas Pinner v. State of Indiana under case number 49S02-1611-CR-610, holding that the sole fact a person has a gun is not a sufficient reason for the person to be stopped and searched. In February 2015, a taxi driver called the police after a man and a woman got out of his cab because when they exited, the man dropped a…
So you have been charged with a low level felony or a misdemeanor and you absolutely cannot have a conviction on your record, now what? A diversion or deferral might be something that could work for you depending on a number of factors. The law in Indiana (IC 33-39-1-8) provides that those who have committed low level crimes or are first time offenders are sometimes able to dismiss their charges. This is called a diversion…
One of the main questions a defendant asks when facing a potential criminal offense is, “who is the best criminal defense attorney in Indiana?” And, if you think about it, that makes sense. Criminal cases have the potential to have lifelong consequences. So, it leads to reason that anyone who is facing a criminal offense is going to try to track down the best criminal attorney for their particular case. The list below is meant…
Habitual Traffic Violator Law Quite frankly, one of the most pertinent things is to have the ability to drive! Whether it is to school, work, or even just to go out and socialize with friends. Have you ever had your license taken, and did not have the means to do these things – for a substantial amount of time? There is nothing more frustrating than not having a license to legally drive. It can be…
Are Child Support Agreements with No Child Support Legal? “We have reached an agreement that neither parent will pay child support.” That is a common statement made by clients as they are navigating family law. It is heard in divorce and paternity cases. However, the reality is child support is a right of the child, not of the parent. A parent cannot waive something that does not belong to them. Child support exists as an…