Criminal Legal Process Common Terms In today’s blog we look at some of the commonly used terms and parties that are part of the process of a criminals case. Look at is as a practical definition of each item. Many times the parties involved in the criminal process forget that someone that is arrested is experiencing the process for the first time, we will try to simplify and make the system a bit more understandable….
Statute of Limitations on Criminal Offenses in Indiana Worried that you’ve done something that may result in criminal charges being filed against you? For most crimes, there is a limit on how much time can pass between when the crime was committed and when charges are filed. If the State of Indiana waits too long to file charges then they are barred from prosecution and the person cannot then be held criminally liable for the…
What Happens At a Sentencing Hearing in Indiana? There are many situations where someone can be facing a sentencing hearing. Sentencing hearings typically happen after a trial or plea when a person has already been determined guilty, or after a violation of probation has been determined and the next step is to argue the potential sentence a person must serve. A sentencing hearing is one of the most important stages of any criminal proceeding as…
A Look at the Charge of Reckless Homicide in Indiana When watching the news, it’s impossible to make it through an entire hour of local or national stories without hearing the word “homicide” at least once. Heck, in Chicago alone, over 750 people were killed in 2015…that’s right, over 750 people….close to 2 people a day. Almost everyone when they hear the word “homicide” automatically thinks of someone acting deliberately to kill or harm another…
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 —…
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…
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Brad Banks who has more than 20 years of legal experience as a criminal defense attorney.