Category Archives: Criminal Defense
What are Your Rights During a Traffic Stop in Indiana?
Traffic stops are a part of driving and most people will be pulled over by police at least once in their lives. As common as they are, though, traffic stops are still very intimidating, particularly if you are unclear about your rights. Understanding how to handle a traffic stop in Indiana can ensure you… Read More »
How Do Plea Deals Work in Indiana?
Most people have heard the term ‘plea deals’ or ‘plea bargains,’ at some point in their life. In many cases, people are familiar with these terms because they have seen them in movies and on television shows. In Indiana, plea deals are formally known as plea agreements, and when a person is charged with… Read More »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Do I Have to Comply with a Plainclothes Officer During a Traffic Stop?
If you are driving in or around Indianapolis and a police car or an unmarked vehicle signals for you to pull over, are you required to stop? And if that vehicle is in fact an unmarked police vehicle, are you required to comply with any instructions or orders from a person who identifies themselves… Read More »
Can You Be Required to Sit in a Squad Car During a Traffic Stop?
Were you recently pulled over in a traffic stop during which the police officer or other law enforcement officer required you to get out of your vehicle and wait in the squad car? In many cases, a law enforcement official might ask or tell a driver to step out of their vehicle and to… Read More »
What Are My Rights If the Police Ask to Conduct a Search?
If you are stopped by the police in a traffic stop, or if you are stopped while walking or approached at the door of your home, the police might ask if they can search your property. For example, in a routine traffic stop for something like speeding or a broken taillight, the law enforcement… Read More »
What is an Excited Utterance?
Generally speaking, any statements that meet the definition of “hearsay” cannot be used against a person who is facing criminal charges. However, there are a wide range of exceptions to Indiana’s rule against hearsay. And even before we get to the exceptions to the rule against hearsay, the definition of hearsay itself is complex… Read More »