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All too often drug addiction leads to criminal charges.  Most often charges involve the drugs themselves.  Possession of the drug is many times the first crime an addict will be charged with.  However, other charges may also come into play.  For example, drug addicts are many times struggling financially and therefore, theft is also a very common charge for drug addicts.  Other common charges are public intoxication, driving under the influence, obtaining drugs by fraud,…

What is a Serious Violent Felon, and What Does it Mean? Being convicted of a felony carries countless consequences for people, regardless of whether or not they actually spend any time in prison.  Aside from the stigma of being labeled a felon, these individuals also lose certain rights and freedoms that the rest of us may take for granted. One of those rights lost is the ability to possess a firearm, and a violation of…

Erasing a Criminal Arrest, Conviction, or Dismissal Record under Indiana’s Second Chance Law Over the last two years the Indiana Legislature has completed a massive overhaul of expungements. On July 1, 2015, the expungement statutes again went through another change. Indiana 35-38-9 is the statute that governs expungements and sealing of the records related filings. First of all, what is an expungement? An expungement essentially allows an individual to clean his or her slate and…

All anyone has to do understand the drug problem in this country and around the world is to turn on the nightly news. Every single day there are stories of overdoses, murders tied to drugs, and/or drug busts worth thousands of dollars. And, without discrimination as to the wealth or poorness of a neighborhood, people of all income levels are suffering from addiction from alcohol to prescription pills, to cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. And, with…

Indianapolis Divorce Attorney Blog: What Does Custody Mean in Indiana? Whether faced with a divorce or a paternity action, there are many parents who are unsure as to exactly what requesting custody of their children means in Indiana.  To begin, Indiana law separates child custody into 2 categories: 1) legal custody and 2) physical custody.  When a court determines how custody is going to be awarded in a specific case, the court always uses the…

Indianapolis Criminal Defense Attorney Blog:  A Look at the Law of Neglect of a Dependent   Recently in the news(June 2015) there was a video that went viral involving two “ladies” fighting in the aisle way of a local Wal-Mart.  Disturbingly, one of the ladies had a young son that was present that jumped in and started engaging in the fight.  Shortly after the video went viral, the local prosecutor charged the mom, with the…

How 2015 Changes to Indiana Law May Impact Your Criminal Case   As happens every year in Indiana, July 1 brings a number of changes to various areas of the law as a result of the legislative session.  Although the major criminal code overhaul took place last year, some changes of note have been enacted this year with respect to motor vehicle laws and criminal statutes. The Indianapolis Criminal Defense Attorneys have summarized the changes…

Appealing a Federal Background Check for a Handgun Denial or Delay Here at Banks & Brower, LLC, we help TONS of people obtain their concealed carry permits, and often times after they have been denied the right to carry a concealed weapon. Be it a stated-based four-year application or a lifetime application denial, the sting of being turned down is a tough pill to swallow for many gun enthusiasts. And, having nowhere else to turn…