The House Committee on Courts and Criminal Code heard SB 336 sponsored by Representative J. Young addressing misdemeanor penalties. The bill makes numerous misdemeanors civil infractions for the first offense and increases the penalty for obstructing a medical person from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class A misdemeanor. The bill repeals the crimes of vending machine vandalism and r … [Read more...] about Misdemeanor penalties
Criminal
Offenses involving critical infrastructure
The House Judiciary Committee heard SB 471, sponsored by Rep. Soliday, on offenses involving critical infrastructure. This bill provides that: a person who, not having a contractual interest in the property, knowingly or intentionally enters the real property of a critical infrastructure facility without the permission of the owner of the critical infrastructure facility or an … [Read more...] about Offenses involving critical infrastructure
Public defenders
The House Committee on Courts and Criminal Code heard SB 488 sponsored by Representative J. Young regarding public defenders. The bill authorizes the Indiana public defender commission to create guidelines and requirements pertaining to a multicounty public defender’s office and authorizes a county executive to adopt an ordinance that allows the county to enter into an inte … [Read more...] about Public defenders
Regional holding facility
The Senate Committee on Corrections and Criminal Law heard HB 1065, sponsored by Sen. Koch, regarding regional holding facilities for Level 6 felons incarcerated in jail. This bill allows a county sheriff to contract with the department of correction to transfer a confined jail offender from a county jail to a regional holding facility established and operated by the department of … [Read more...] about Regional holding facility
Crimes involving synthetic drugs
The Senate Committee on Corrections and Criminal Law heard HB 1186, sponsored by Sen. Bohacek, concerning crimes involving synthetic drugs. The bill makes possessing or dealing in a substance that is a controlled substance analog an offense of the same level as possession of or dealing in the controlled substance of which the substance is an analog. The bill also defines “substance … [Read more...] about Crimes involving synthetic drugs