Author Archives: Jay Butchko
What are Specialized Driving Privileges in Indiana?
Losing your driver’s license can feel like you have lost your independence. Going to work, getting to medical appointments, and taking your children to school are all daily tasks that can suddenly become immensely challenging. Although not all drivers are aware of it, you may be eligible for specialized driving privileges that can make… Read More »
How to Prepare for a Parole Board Hearing in Indiana
Parole Board hearings in Indiana are official proceedings that determine whether an offender should be released, placed on supervision, or be reincarcerated. If you have a hearing with the Parole Board approaching, it is important to know how to prepare. This often involves creating a comprehensive parole plan, showing that you are rehabilitated, accepting… Read More »
Pros and Cons of Plea Agreements
If you have been charged with a criminal offense, the prosecution will likely offer you a plea deal. A plea deal, also known as plea bargains or plea agreements, are essentially a negotiation between yourself, through your lawyer, and the prosecutor. In most cases, they involve pleading guilty to a charge and agreeing to… Read More »
Is it Entrapment When Law Enforcement Goes Undercover?
Entrapment is an affirmative defense that can be used in certain criminal cases. However, this defense is shrouded in myths and misconceptions, largely due to people basing their understanding on what they have seen in movies and television shows. When investigators and law enforcement officers go undercover, it does not necessarily constitute entrapment. The… Read More »
Things to Know About Probation and Drug Testing in Indianapolis
Drug testing is a very important part of probation. If you have been ordered to undergo drug testing as part of your probationary terms, it is critical that you do not fail these tests. Failing a drug test or violating any other terms of your probation can have serious consequences, including being sent back… Read More »
What are Defenses to Assault in Indiana?
In Indiana, there is not a statute that recognizes assault as a standalone offense. Instead, the Indiana Code lists the crime of intimidation as the closest legal definition of the offense commonly known as assault in other states. Intimidation in Indiana is the offense of threatening someone or behaving in a way that causes… Read More »
Understanding Your Rights During a Parole Revocation Hearing
If you have been accused of violating your parole conditions, you will likely have to attend a parole revocation hearing. This hearing is a legal proceeding heard before the Indiana Parole Board to determine if you have violated the conditions of your release. If it is proven that you have violated parole, the board… Read More »
What Happens if You Refuse a Field Sobriety Test in Indiana?
If police suspect you of operating while intoxicated (OWI) in Indiana, they will pull you over and try to determine if you are impaired. They will ask you a series of questions and may even ask you to submit to several tests. Some of these are known as field sobriety tests and require you… Read More »
Four Ways to Challenge Field Sobriety Test Results
If you have been pulled over for a suspected operating while intoxicated (OWI), the officer may have asked you to submit to field sobriety tests. These tests require you to perform certain tasks, such as following a small object with your eyes or standing on one leg while counting. Police officers ask you to… Read More »
Can You Challenge Breathalyzer Results in Indiana?
If you are suspected of driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs in Indiana, a police officer may pull you over. During the traffic stop, they will ask you questions to try to confirm their suspicions of impaired driving. They may also ask you to submit to tests. Field sobriety tests require you to… Read More »