indianapolis criminal defense attorney

Understanding Credit Time in Criminal Cases Whenever someone is sentenced in a criminal case in Indiana, the Court takes great concern to appropriately and accurately apply any credit time the defendant is afforded when carrying out the formal sentencing. It is incredibly important because no one should ever serve more time for any offense above and beyond what the level of offense requires minus the time they have already served — otherwise, they can serve…

A quick look at consecutive versus concurrent sentencing Whenever somebody is convicted of multiple offenses – whether they arise out of the same incident or different cases – the determination needs to be made on whether the sentences will run concurrently or consecutive to one another.  If they run concurrent, the sentences will overlap and be served at the same time. Consecutive sentences, on the other hand, require one to finish before the other begins….

A Quick Look at Bond Revocation Hearings Most people have heard of bond or bail — in fact, most people can name the different types of bond such as cash, surety, personal recognizance, etc. While a bond is an amazing thing–it is a mechanism to keep you out of custody while your case is pending–it can be a fragile thing. It is a tool that the courts and prosecutors use as leverage if and when they decide to…

Refusing a Chemical Test During a DUI Investigation: The Supreme Court’s Recent Ruling: A look at the Supreme Court’s most recent ruling on what counts as “refusing” a chemical test.  If you ever find yourself in a position where a police officer suspects that you are intoxicated and is asking if you will submit to a chemical test, your actions are just as important, if not more, than your words when it comes to determining…

Are you or someone you know undergoing a potential grand jury proceeding or facing an indictment? Need help understanding what it all means? This blog will go through the different terms and procedures that most often occur in the indictment and grand jury process. Grand juries are very laid back as compared to typical pre-trial court settings. Most times there is not a judge or defense attorney present and it is just the prosecutor and…

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…