The Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee heard SB 173, Sen. R. Michael Young’s bill to establish a DOC specialized vocational program. Sen. Young explained that the bill would require the DOC to establish a program to train minimum-security offenders in trades such as truck driving, manufacturing, plumbing, heating, and air conditioning. Sen. Young said that the Department … [Read more...] about DOC specialized vocational program
Sentence modification
The Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee heard SB 174, Sen. R. Michael Young’s bill to make the application of the 2014 sentence modification statutory changes retroactive to crimes committed before July 1, 2014. Sen. Young noted that there was disagreement in the criminal justice system about the issue and that several appeals about it are pending. The disagreement was ma … [Read more...] about Sentence modification
Identifying information for adoptions
The Senate Judiciary Committee heard SB 352 pertaining to identifying information for adoptions authored by Sen. Steele and Sen. Delph. Sen. Steele stated that the bill authorizes adoptees adopted between 1941 and 1993 to access their own adoption information to the same extent as adoptees adopted before 1941 and after 1993. Testimony was taken in support of this bill by several … [Read more...] about Identifying information for adoptions
Vanderburgh Circuit Court magistrate
The Senate Judiciary Committee heard SB 122 authored by Sen. Becker and Sen. Tomes, pertaining to a Vanderburgh Circuit Court magistrate. The bill was prepared by the Interim Study Committee on the Courts and Judiciary. This bill authorizes the Vanderburgh Circuit Court to add a second magistrate. This matter was heard and approved last year by this Committee but was held for … [Read more...] about Vanderburgh Circuit Court magistrate
Magistrates and criminal trials
The Senate Judiciary Committee heard SB 137 authored by Sen. Randolph and Sen. Tomes regarding magistrates and criminal trials. This bill requires the elected circuit or superior court judge, rather than a magistrate, to preside over a criminal trial or sentencing hearing if the defendant so requests in writing no later than 10 days after the omnibus date. An amendment was adopted … [Read more...] about Magistrates and criminal trials