Rokita Applauds President Trump’s Commitment To Funding The Border Wall
“I made a similar promise: an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution and protect our country, and that’s why I will vote on spending bills that properly continue fixing our border security, including an effective wall.â€
 Congressman Todd Rokita, Vice Chairman of the Budget Committee, applauded President Trump’s commitment to funding the border wall. Congressman Rokita also announced today, he will not vote for any spending deal that does not fund the border wall.
“President Trump made a promise to the American people to build the border wall, and it is now time for Congress to help deliver by providing the necessary funding to build the wall,†said Congressman Todd Rokita. “I made a similar promise: an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution and protect our country, and that’s why I will vote on spending bills that properly continue fixing our border security, including an effective wall.â€
Congressman Rokita continued:
I will vote no on any short-term spending bill that fails to fund the border wall, and I urge President Trump to remain steadfast in his commitment to keeping our nation safe. Punting our inability to fund the border wall to soon-to-be Speaker Pelosi and a Democrat-controlled House is irresponsible. We cannot abdicate our responsibilities to the American people, so I will be saying ‘no’ when ‘no’ is what’s required to be said. Let’s keep our promise to the American people, fund the wall, and prioritize the safety and security of our nation.â€
‘Meager weight’ of mitigating factors could not overcome attorney’s deficient performance
Marilyn Odendahl for www.theindianalawyer.com
Although the Indiana Court of Appeals agreed the relationship had broken between a Fort Wayne criminal defense attorney and his client, it did not find that the 130-year sentence handed down would have been significantly less if defense counsel had offered mitigating circumstances.
Roderick Lewis was convicted in 2011 of two counts of felony murder and two counts of robbery for a 1999 stick-up of a drug house in Fort Wayne which left the 16-year-old and 14-year-old who operated the house dead. Lewis rejected plea offers because he could not understand why he was being held responsible for the murders since he did not actually shoot either victim.
At sentencing, defense attorney Jeffrey Raff only said, “Judge, I’m going to defer to Mr. Lewis if he has any comments. I don’t have anything to add.†Lewis proceeded to make a statement that spanned six pages in the court transcript.
The state, on the other hand, presented a number of witnesses, asserted several aggravating circumstances and asked the court to impose aggravated, consecutive sentences. Afterwards, the Allen Superior Court imposed the maximum 65-year sentences for the felony murder convictions and ordered them to be served consecutively.
On appeal, Lewis, with new counsel. unsuccessfully challenged the sufficiency of the evidence in Lewis v. State, No. 02A03-1202-CR-18 (Ind. Ct. App. Aug. 31, 2012), trans. denied.
Lewis then filed a pro se petition for post-conviction relief, arguing Raff failed to advocate on his behalf and there were several mitigating factors that should have been asserted at sentencing.
According to the trial court’s findings of facts presented at the post-conviction hearing, Raff “did nothing at sentencing.†The attorney testified he did not inquiry Lewis’ mental health, was not aware Lewis had attempted suicide in the Allen County Jail, did not ask Lewis about his upbringing or speak to relatives or friends, and did not have Lewis examined by a mental health professional. Also, he did not prepare Lewis to make a statement at sentencing.
Testimony by a psychologist and family members established that Lewis had bipolar II disorder. In addition, he grew up with a mother addicted to drugs, her boyfriends physically abused her and Lewis, and as a 9-year-old, he witnessed one boyfriend stabbing another.
The post-conviction court determined Raff erred, but concluded Lewis was not prejudiced by the alleged deficient performance because it likely did not adversely impact the outcome. The Court of Appeals affirmed that ruling in Roderick Vandrell Lewis v. State of Indiana, 18A-PC-767.
The appellate panel noted Lewis helped planned the robbery, took his gun to the drug house, gave his gun to one of his cohorts and invited him to shoot one of the victims, reached for a shotgun to keep it away from one of the victims, then spent the night in the hotel “essentially celebrating and laughing about the evening’s events.â€
As for his age and mental illness, the appeals court pointed out that Lewis had been a gang member for several years prior to the robbery and his behavior before, during and after the murder suggests he was in control of his faculties.
“We agree with the post-conviction court that there is not a reasonable probability that presentation of the omitted mitigating evidence would have affected Lewis’s sentence,†Judge Robert Altice, Jr., wrote for the court. “While Attorney Raff certainly should have proffered the mitigators at sentencing, the meager weight of those simply could not withstand the overwhelming weight of the aggravating circumstances.â€
UE to play Green Bay in 4 p.m. game Saturday
Aces wrap up Pre-Christmas schedule
The final non-conference home contest of the season for the University of Evansville men’s basketball team is set for Saturday afternoon when the Purple Aces welcome Green Bay for a 4 p.m. game. ESPN+ will have the broadcast.
It will mark First Responder and Military Appreciation Night. Current and former first responders and military personnel receive a free ticket for them and a guest to the game. Additional guest tickets will be available for just $5.
“Green Bay likes to play fast just like us, they are near the top in the country when it comes to tempo. They push the basketball and have the guys that can score,†Aces head coach Walter McCarty said. “We have to be very engaged in knowing that they want to score fast off of rebounds, free throws and made baskets. We have to be alert and get back and shut the paint down, be ready to spread out and guard their shooters.  They really push the ball and are more like us than anyone else we have played.â€
Setting the Scene
– Evansville and Green Bay face off for the 8th time with the Aces winning five of the first seven games
– The squads last met in the 2014 Gulf Coast Showcase with Green Bay taking a 64-62 win; they were led by current Bradley coach Brian Wardle
– UE has won all four games played in Evansville
– Through six home games in 2018, UE is 5-1
Last Time Out
– In a back-and-forth contest, a last-second shot pushed Murray State to a 66-64 win on Tuesday at the CFSB Center
– Evansville erased a 7-point halftime deficit to take a 60-53 lead with just over four minutes remaining, but the Racers picked up points in each of their final eight possessions to pick up the win
– UE’s toughness was on display once again as the squad outrebounded MSU, 38-34, while holding the Racers to 39% shooting
– K.J. Riley had the second double-double of his career with 13 points and 11 boards
Takeaways from Murray State
– After the first nine games of the season were all decided by five or more points, the last two have been decided by a total of seven points
– Redshirt sophomore Devan Straub made his UE debut, playing four minutes while dishing out an assist
– K.J. Riley continued to play at a high level; he has now recorded double figures in scoring in six consecutive contests
– The bench for UE outscored that of MSU by a 25-16 margin
Playing with Pace
– According to KenPom.com, the Aces are averaging 73.4 possessions per game, which ranks 53rd in the nation
– It is a large disparity from last season when UE was 295th in the country, averaging 65.7 possessions
Connecting the Dots
- Green Bay is the only one of UE’s 2018-19 opponents that head coach Walter McCarty faced as a player at Kentucky
– He scored 10 points in a 74-62 Wildcat win on December 6, 1995
– UE assistant coach Todd Lickliter won six games in a row over the Phoenix between 2005 and 2007 as the head coach at Butler
– Aces assistant Matthew Graves enjoyed some good moments against Green Bay; as a senior for Butler in 1997-98, his team went 3-0 against the Phoenix and defeated them by a 70-51 final in the MCC Championship game
– As an assistant with BU, Graves enjoyed a 13-1 stretch against Green Bay between 2005 and 2012
Scouting the Opponent
– Green Bay makes its first trip to the Ford Center with a 6-6 mark
– While the Phoenix are 1-3 in their last four games, they own a huge 100-92 home win over Belmont that came on December 1
– Sandy Cohen III leads the Phoenix with 15.7 points per game; he is also their top rebounder with 5.8 per contest and has a team-high 64 assists
– JayQuan McCloud (13.3 PPG) and ShanQuan Hemphill (12.5 PPG) also average double figures
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Cardinal Caravan returns to the PAC January 20
University of Southern Indiana Athletics will welcome the 2019 Cardinals Caravan to the Physical Activities Center Sunday, January 20 at 6 p.m. The caravan, presented by Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance, offers St. Louis fans a chance to talk baseball and meet current players and Cardinal Alumni (attendees will be announced at a later date).
Admission is free with unlimited seating and doors open at 5 p.m. Log on to StLCardinals.com for more information.
The first 400 children (15 and under) through the door on the day of the event will receive a free Autograph Ticket which guarantees one autograph from each current and former player. Due to high demand, autographs will only be available for children 15 and under.
Trooper Stops to check on Vehicle and makes Drug and DUI Arrest
Last night at approximately 8:00, Trooper Nick Hatfield stopped to check on a vehicle that was parked on the shoulder of US 41 near the 58 mile marker. The driver of the vehicle was identified as William Beck, 60, of Fort Wayne. A female passenger was identified as April Beach, 59, of Panasoffkee, FL. Hatfield noticed that Beck and Beach appeared to be impaired. Three plastic sandwich bags containing marijuana were located in the glove compartment. After Beach exited the vehicle she fell to the ground. When Beck bent down to assist her a meth pipe fell to the ground. The pipe contained a small amount of meth. Beach was also in possession of Xanax. They were both arrested and transported to the Knox County Jail where they are currently being held on bond.
Arrested and Charges:
- William Beck, 60, Fort Wayne, IN
- Possession of Meth, Class 6 Felony
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Class A Misdemeanor
- Possession of Marijuana, Class B Misdemeanor
- Driving While Intoxicated, Class B Misdemeanor
- April Beach, 59, Panasoffkee, FL
- Possession of Controlled Substance, Class A Misdemeanor
Arresting Officer: Trooper Nick Hatfield, Indiana State Police
Assisting Agencies: Knox County Sheriff’s Department and Vincennes Police
JUST IN: General Assembly Will Decide If Sports Wagering Is A Safe Bet
General Assembly Will Decide If Sports Wagering Is A Safe Bet
By James Polston
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS—A lawmaker who plans to introduce legislation to legalize sports wagering wants Indiana to be able to cash in on the latest round of state-sanctioned gambling.
“As we all know, there is illegal sports betting happening all over the place in Indiana. Some say it’s as high as $300 million,†said Sen. Jon Ford, R-Terre Haute. “So, if we keep the barriers to entry low and we keep the tax relatively low, we will capture more of that illegal business.â€
Gambling revenue from the state’s riverboats and racinos produced Indiana $87 million in the fiscal year 2019.
Indiana took the first tentative steps in October when an interim study committee voted unanimously for the General Assembly to consider legislation that permits sports wagering. One of the goals is to attempt to reduce the size of the illegal gambling market.
Ford authored legislation during the 2018 session, but it failed and is working on a proposal for the 2019 session.
“I think we have a good chance,†Ford said of prospects for the session that starts in January. “I think my colleagues understand that to be competitive with other gaming states, this is something we’re certainly going to have to take a hard look at.â€
Ford said the General Assembly needs to look at protecting consumers and believes the age requirement to bet on sporting events should be 21. He added there should be a mobile component to sports wagering.
“For mobile, they need to go to a physical casino and have their verification done there on site,†Ford said of what the proposed law should contain.
If sports wagering is adopted by the General Assembly, Indiana would become the ninth state making it legal, joining Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, Mississippi, West Virginia, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
Although other states are wrestling with the idea, Ford believes Indiana is a leader, dating back to the regulations developed around daily fantasy sports sites three years ago.
“You look at other states but I think we often forget our own path,†Ford said.
Sites like FanDuel and DraftKings allow users to select a lineup of players from different leagues and join games against opponents across the globe. Participants can win registration money back by outscoring other teams in their given league.
Christina Gray, executive director of the Indiana Council for Problem Gambling (ICPG), said her organization maintains a neutral position on sports wagering legislation. But ICPG is calling for at least one percent of revenue collected on sports wagering to be used for preventing and treating gambling addiction.
“We’ve had so many things in the last 30 years that they’ve approved gambling wise that I just hope they do set aside money to handle people who have problems with gambling,†Gray said.
The ICPG was founded in 1996 by a group of individuals and organizations with the goal to ensure that help was available for problem gamblers.
The ICPG also wants legislation to require betting operators to implement responsible gaming programs, assign a regulatory agency to enforce those programs and regulations set by the law, conduct surveys focused on adults and set a minimum age requirement.
In the past, professional sports leagues, particularly the NFL, have opposed legalizing sports wagering but have since softened their stance.
Micah Clark of the American Family Association of Indiana said sports wagering is not at the top of his organization’s agenda but has opposed gaming in previous years.
FOOTNOTE: James Polston is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
