Many divorcing spouses ask what mediation is and why it would be beneficial in their divorce case. In this article, we will go over those questions and others to look at some of the advantages mediation has over other methods of finalizing a divorce case Mediation is considered an alternative dispute resolution. Instead of going to court and having a judge decide all of the terms of a divorce, spouses may be able to resolve…
I.C. 35-50-1-2 When Defendants are sentenced in criminal cases often there are multiple counts as part of the same case and/or multiple cases being wrapped up all at once. Whether it be by plea agreement or post-conviction at trial, the issue of consecutive (one after the other) or concurrent (running together) sentencing is often raised and becomes important. According to IC 35-50-1-2, generally speaking, unless the parties are in agreement to the contrary as part of…
Effective January 1, 2024, Indiana’s Rules of Criminal Procedure underwent a significant overhaul. The Indiana Supreme Court approved the new Rules of Criminal Procedure after a yearslong process of study, proposed rules, commentary, and deliberation by stakeholders in the criminal justice system. The new rules should be of great benefit to both criminal defendants and their attorneys, as they largely standardize practice in courts across the State of Indiana. In updating the Rules of Criminal…
Chain of Custody is a legal term of art that occasionally becomes an issue when dealing with the admissibility of evidence at trial. Chain of custody is defined as the chronological documentation or paper trail that records the sequence of custody, control, transfer, analysis, and disposition of evidence. In order to admit fungible evidence, there typically must be evidence as to the item’s chain of custody to ensure the item is what it purports to…