Hiring an In-Town Lawyer vs. an Out of Town Attorney To hire an in town attorney, or out of town attorney? That is the question. I think Shakespeare asked that in Hamlet….or, something like that. All joking aside, we at Banks & Brower, LLC, are constantly asked this question when people call in looking for advice on who to hire. “Should I hire an out of county attorney, or should I hire an attorney on…
Sentencing Enhancements in Indiana Criminal Cases Most people are aware that any given criminal offense carries with it a range of possible penalties, including jail or prison time. For example, a Level 3 felony conviction carries the possibility of 3 to 16 years in prison. What may come as a surprise, especially to one charged with a serious felony offense, is that the prosecutor can file a sentencing enhancement which can significantly increase the amount…
What Happens if I Flee from Work Release, Home Detention, or a Jail or Prison? In this blog Indianapolis Criminal Defense Attorneys at Banks & Brower take a look at the offenses of escape and failure to return to lawful detention. These offenses are most commonly charged against those serving community corrections sentences, whether in a work release facility or on home detention. Generally, it is easier to “escape” in one of these scenarios than…
Invasion of Privacy – Violating a Protective and/or a No Contact Order Many people wrongfully believe that if someone has filed a Protective Order against them, the only penalty for having violated it is that the police come to your house, yell at you, and tell you to stop doing it. What many people don’t realize, however, is that violating the terms of a Protective Order or No Contact Order oftentimes leads to criminal charges…
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…
Understanding How Extradition Works in Indiana Extradition is a word that is often tossed around by the general public, but all too often, many don’t truly understand what it means, how it works, and how it’s enforced in the criminal defense world. In this blog the Indianapolis Criminal Defense Attorneys at Banks & Brower will address how extradition works and how it plays out in a typical criminal case. Extradition, in its most simplistic form,…