indianapolis criminal defense attorney

A Quick Look at Indiana’s Statutes on Intimidation, Harassment, and Stalking Before you post that nasty comment about someone on Facebook, or before cyber stalk…you might want to think about whether that communication or internet spying might cross the line. In this blog the Indianapolis Criminal Defense Attorneys of Banks & Brower will focus on two of the most common communication-based criminal charges: intimidation and harassment,both of which seem to be filed more and more often, especially with the advent…

Sentence Modifications after the 2014 Indiana Criminal Code Overhaul  – In this blog the Indianapolis Criminal Defense Attorneys at Banks & Brower look at sentence modifications. A sentence modification is a mechanism by which a person convicted of a crime can seek to have the length or placement of the sentence changed after some portion of his or her sentence has been completed.  For example, a person may seek to have a few years trimmed…

To Spank? Or, Not to Spank? That is the Question As society becomes more and more politically correct and sensitive, the more and more often we are seeing cases filed against parents for spanking their children for Battery on a Minor as a class-D or Level 6 Felony. Why you might ask? While most people realize that each parent has the right to discipline their own child, be it physically through spanking, etc. or some…

A Look at Indiana’s Aggravating & Mitigating Factors When It Comes to Sentencing   Many people know that a judge generally has considerable leeway in imposing a sentence after a person is convicted of a crime.  For example, a sentence for a Level 5 felony can range from 1 to 6 years.  So how do judges come to a sentencing decision in any given case?  Indiana law contains certain aggravating and mitigating circumstances that a…

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,…

UNDERSTANDING INDIANA’S CRIMINAL SENTENCING GUIDELINES Below is a chart showing the classes of felony crimes in Indiana and the associated sentencing ranges.  Also included is the advisory sentence for each category of felony. SENTENCING RANGES CHART Felony Level Sentence Range (min. – adv. – max.) Murder 45 – 55 – 65 Level 1 20 – 30 – 40 Level 2 10 – 17.5 – 30 Level 3 3 – 9 – 16 Level 4 2…

Understanding How a Juvenile Get’s Waived to Adult Court in Indiana:   –  Most people assume, and rightfully so, that so long as you or a loved one isn’t an adult at the time a criminal offense is committed, you can’t be tried as an adult. While in principal that sounds right, and in practice that is mostly right, you might be surprised to hear that isn’t always the case. Most often it depends on the level…

As many of you are aware, our General Assembly this year passed a comprehensive overhaul of our criminal code.  Some of the changes have been highlighted in previous blogs, and this week’s post takes a look at the habitual offender enhancement in its current form. What is a habitual offender? Habitual offender enhancements are used to increase the penalty for a given crime based on an individual’s criminal history.  The habitual offender enhancement must be…