COA Rejects Ex-Teacher’s Appeal For Lighter Sentence For Seduction Of Student
COA Rejects Ex-Teacher’s Appeal For Lighter Sentence For Seduction Of StudentOlivia Covington for www.theindianalawyer.com
A former Indiana teacher and coach convicted of child seduction with a student cannot have his sentence reduced after the Indiana Court of Appeals decided Wednesday that his character and the nature of his offense do not warrant a lighter sentence.
In the case of Jakob Robinson v. State of Indiana, 79A02-1603-CR-522, Jakob Robinson, a former teacher and coach at McCutcheon High School in Tippecanoe County, pleaded guilty to five counts of Level 5 felony child seduction in September 2015.
Robinson’s plea came after K.F., his student, informed the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Department that she had a sexual relationship with Robinson. K.F. reported that between October 2014 and January 2015, Robinson engaged her in numerous sexual encounters both during and after school hours, bought her clothing and jewelry, met with her in public in the presence of his two minor daughters and confided in her about the problems in his marriage.
After his plea, the Tippecanoe Superior Court sentenced Robinson to eight years, with five years executed and three years suspended to probation.
The former teacher appealed his sentence, saying it was inappropriate in light of the nature of the offenses and his character. All of the offenses he was convicted of occurred with the same student in a short period of time, Robinson said, so his sentence should have been lighter.
Further, Robinson argued that the trial court improperly considered his position of trust with K.F. as an aggravator because the facts related to his position over K.F. “did not exceed that necessary to prove an element of the offense of child seduction.â€
But in its Wednesday opinion, the Court of Appeals wrote that it easily rejected Robinson’s arguments.
“The fact that Robinson, over several months, repeatedly victimized a minor who trusted him does not mitigate his sentence,†the court wrote. “And Robinson’s suggestion that his obvious position of trust over K.F. was nothing more than that necessary to establish an element of the offense of child seduction is not supported by cogent reasoning.â€
The appellate court also wrote that Robinson’s character did not warrant a lighter sentence, saying instead that his guilty plea, his lack of criminal history and his support within the community were the reasons he only received an eight-year sentence when the maximum sentence was 30 years.
BIRTHDAYS FOR SEPTEMBER , 2016
JIM BUSH
DENNIS AVERY
MIKE ADAMS
TAMI TENBARGE
MARY HART
ALLEN KELLER
ABBY ELPERS
MIKE ADAM
TAMI TENBARGE
IAN HAUER
JEANNE McCORMICK
DEBI WOLLFE
RICK RINEY
TYRONE EDWARDS
VICKI HUBIAK
CONNIE RALPH
MICHAEL W SANDERS
BOB BALLARD
PATRICK MOORE
MELANIE LEACH-MOORE
AMANDA GREEN
CABBLE STUART
JAKE HICKS
Jennifer Warner Mitchell
Jim McGillem
Brenda Floyd
Scott Evernham
Sandra McCullough
Pam Chaddock Doerter
A.J. Naas
Jeffrey O Stratton
Annie Groves
Cliff Louis Dardeen
Dan Katz
Reenie Brown
Candle Boss
Deborah Bates-Kessinger
Lori Mae
Linda Barth
Ralph Darke-Schreiber
Indiana State Police Honor Guard Members Receive Service Pins
Members of the Indiana State Police Honor Guard received service pins to be worn on their uniforms in a ceremony Monday at the Indiana State House. Historically, the Honor Guard has consisted of a dedicated group of troopers who have volunteered their time to participate; however they are now recognized as an 
official specialty team within the department.
“When bad things happen to good people, these are the folks who step up and step out to represent our department,†said Superintendent Doug Carter, who proudly presented an official Indiana State Police Honor Guard Pin to each member. “These men and women volunteer their time to humbly honor our fallen comrades, and when called upon, they bestow the highest degree of representation and honor upon the Indiana State Police.
55 troopers make up the Honor Guard and are divided into three teams, a north team, a central team and a south team. Each team member will attend regular training and maintain a 24/7 call out availability. The Honor Guard will participate in memorial services, funerals for active or retired police officers, parades and will proudly present colors at high profile events.
Assistant Honor Guard Commander Master Trooper Aaron Gaul says, “Being on the Honor Guard is all about putting service, respect and nation above self; it is having the ability to honor those that served before and proving they will never be forgotten. It is a platform to show respect to those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice defending this nation we hold so closely to our hearts, silently and reverently.â€
Photos:
1) Uniform pin presented to Honor Guard Members
2) North Team
3) Central Team
4) South Team
UE Student-Athletes Honored for Academics
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Aces held Academic Breakfast on Thursday morning
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – On Thursday morning, the University of Evansville athletic department held its 10th annual Academic Breakfast at Ridgway University Center on the UE campus.
UE President Dr. Tom Kazee and Athletics Director Mark Spencer co-hosted the event, which recognized student-athletes who made the Dean’s List during the 2015-16 academic year. Student-athletes who made the dean’s list are in attendance and invite faculty members who have been impactful in the academic experience at UE.
Men’s basketball player Blake Simmons also spoke at the breakfast on behalf of the student-athletes.
Student              Sport                  Â
Brandon Gomer*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Baseball
Matthew Jones *Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Baseball
Stewart Nelson*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Baseball
Nathan Reeder*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Baseball
David Howard **Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Men’s Basketball
Blake Simmons**Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Men’s Basketball
Andrew Barrett            Men’s Cross Country
Paul Schwartz              Men’s Cross Country
Jon Pick**                    Men’s Golf
Zachary Blaydes         Men’s Soccer
Kyle Brown                   Men’s Soccer
Ian Gammon               Men’s Soccer
Cameron Gilreat          Men’s Soccer
Cesar Guitunga Jr.*     Men’s Soccer
Matthew Keller*          Men’s Soccer
Michael Matic              Men’s Soccer
Eric McDougal             Men’s Soccer
Gregory Niven              Men’s Soccer
Jacob Baugh                Men’s Swimming
Matthew Childress**   Men’s Swimming
Andrew Cotton            Men’s Swimming
Luke Hoffman            Men’s Swimming
Keystone Marcy*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Men’s Swimming
Brendan Ninneman*Â Â Â Men’s Swimming
Everett Plocek*            Men’s Swimming
Nicolas Riffel               Men’s Swimming
David Stoddard           Men’s Swimming
Student                    Sport             Â
Peyton Langston              Women’s Basketball
Katherine Beaber*            Women’s Cross Country
Ashton Bosler                   Women’s Cross Country
Sienna Crews                     Women’s Cross Country
Michelle Karp*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Women’s Cross Country
Elizabeth Kingshott          Women’s Cross Country
Anna Loef*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Women’s Cross Country
Ashley Torres                    Women’s Cross Country
Madison Chaney               Women’s Golf
Giulia Chaves Mallmann  Women’s Golf
Kayla Katterhenry*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *Women’s Golf
Maria Pickens                    Women’s Golf
Carly Waggoner                Women’s Golf
Whitney Biggs**Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Women’s Soccer
Bronwyn Boswell**           Women’s Soccer
Caitlin Dierkes                  Women’s Soccer
Colleen Dierkes*               Women’s Soccer
Emily Griebel**                 Women’s Soccer
Molly Lear                          Women’s Soccer
Laura Minor                       Women’s Soccer
Sierra Selene Pagan           Women’s Soccer
Montana Portenier            Women’s Soccer
Emily Richardson*           Women’s Soccer
Bailee Bostic                       Softball
Mickaela Fleming**Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Softball
Samantha Fleming**Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Softball
Danielle Freeman              Softball
Student           Sport         Â
Tess Hupe*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Softball
Clara Johnson                Softball
Ashlee Kawall*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Softball
Kristin Koepke                Softball
Morgan Lambert**Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Softball
Alexandra Latoria         Softball
Michal Luckett               Softball
Susan Norris*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Softball
Chandra Parr**Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Softball
Kayla Aitken*               Women’s Swimming
Courtney Coverdale      Women’s Swimming
Taylor Davidson           Women’s Swimming
Kaylee Gubricky           Women’s Swimming
Jessica Hildebrand*Â Â Â Â Â Â Women’s Swimming
Madison Jones               Women’s Swimming
Michaela Kent**Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Women’s Swimming
Charlotte Lechner         Women’s Swimming
Kasey Rein*                   Women’s Swimming
Amy Smith                     Women’s Swimming
Andela Brguljan*         Women’s Tennis
Leah Helpingstine*      Women’s Tennis
Joselyn Coronel            Volleyball
Rocio Fortuny              Volleyball
Olivia Goldstein            Volleyball
Jelena Merseli*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Volleyball
Montana Schafer*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Volleyball
Catherine Schreiber *Â Â Â Volleyball
*Denotes our 2016 National College Athlete Honor Society Inductees. To be an inductee, a student-athlete must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.40, must have achieved at least junior academic standing by the fifth semester and have lettered in their respective sport.
**Denotes our 2016 National College Athlete Honor Society second year honorees receiving a pin. To be recognized, a student-athlete must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.40, must have achieved at least senior academic standing and have lettered in their respective sport.
U OF E Volleyball Ready For Trip Through Illinois
U OF E Volleyball Ready For Trip Through Illinois
Evansville faces Loyola and Bradley this weekend
It is back to the road for the Purple Aces volleyball team as they travel through the state of Illinois. The road stretch begins on Friday at Loyola before the University of Evansville heads to Peoria to take on Bradley. Both matches will be televised live on The Valley on ESPN3.
Missouri Valley Conference play began on Friday as the Aces had three matches in four days. Evansville started conference play off with a hard-fought match against Drake that went five sets before the Bulldogs held on for the late win. UE also faced UNI and Wichita State. Last Friday’s match against Drake was an exciting night as the teams battled to five sets. Several Aces set career marks in various categories including Rocio Fortuny, Jelena Merseli and Olivia Goldstein.
Evansville’s top offensive weapon this season has been Mildrelis Rodriguez, who leads the team with 2.88 kills per set. She set career marks with 20 kills and 61 attempts against Jacksonville State two weeks ago. That weekend, she posted 3.53 kills/set while hitting .240. In the match against Drake, Rodriguez notched 16 kills in 58 attempts. She has also been the Aces’ top offensive player in league play with 2.36 kills per frame.
Just behind Rodriguez on the offensive side has been Rocio Fortuny. In the conference opener against the Bulldogs, Fortuny recorded a career-best 17 kills in 51 tries. She also set her mark with 13 digs. She has notched 105 kills on the season, an average of 2.10 per set. Fortuny has also chipped in 0.44 blocks per game.
Libero Olivia Goldstein continues to settle into the position, leading the way for the team with 189 digs, an average of 3.20 per set. Goldstein posted a career-best 22 against Drake and has had at least 12 digs in seven of the last eight matches.
Loyola comes into the weekend with a 6-9 record and split their opening weekend of conference play. After dropping a 3-1 decision at Illinois State, the Ramblers quickly regrouped for a 3-2 win the next night at Indiana State in Terre Haute. The highlight of the season so far was a 3-0 showing in the Deacon Classic in the first weekend of September when Loyola topped the College of Charleston, Davidson and Wake Forest. Senior Morgan Reardon ranks fifth in the league with 3.37 kills per set.
Bradley enters play with a mark of 5-8 after falling in their first two conference matches last weekend against the Sycamores and Redbirds. The Braves feature a solid offensive tandem as Erica Haslage is second in the MVC with 3.96 kills while Kelsey Cave is the #3 hitter in the league, checking in at .378.
CBS and MVC Announce Men’s Basketball Package
Aces to be featured on CBS Sports Network
ST. LOUIS– For the second consecutive year, CBS Sports Network will televise a package of Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball games, including the State Farm MVC Tournament semifinals as well as eight regular-season contests, Commissioner Doug Elgin announced today.
CBS Sports will continue to televise the title game of Arch Madness for a 12th consecutive year on March 5, 2017.
“As the lead-in to the final week of college men’s basketball, our tourney begins the final march to Selection Sunday, and we are grateful to have the increased visibility for Arch Madness on CBS Sports and CBS Sports Network,†said Elgin, who is in his 29th year with the Conference.
The University of Evansville is set to host Wichita State on January 17, 2017 on the CBS Sports Network. There is also a chance that the Feb. 25 home contest against Indiana State could be picked up by the network as part of the wildcard weekend.
“CBS Sports’ commitment to the MVC brand paid immediate dividends in 2016. Northern Iowa took full advantage of the national stage, upsetting MVC regular-season champion Wichita State in overtime in the semifinals before edging Evansville on a buzzer-beater on CBS Sports in the finale to win the title,†Elgin added.
The 2017 regular-season package of league games on CBS Sports Network reflects the 2016 postseason success by The Valley, which saw Wichita State (versus Vanderbilt and Arizona) and UNI (against Texas) win games in the NCAA Tournament.
Of the seven pre-determined league match-ups, Wichita State will appear in three games, while UNI, Missouri State and Southern Illinois are slated for two appearances each.
The CBS Sports Network package, which features contests on Saturdays and select mid-week nights, begins on Jan. 7, as Southern Illinois visits Missouri State for a 3 p.m. Central telecast.
The men’s basketball regular-season package in January also showcases Wichita State at Evansville (Jan. 17), Illinois State at Bradley (Jan. 18), Southern Illinois at WSU (Jan. 24) and UNI at Drake (Jan. 28).
In the month of February, telecasts include Indiana State at UNI (Feb. 4) and Missouri State at Wichita State (Feb. 9).
The February lineup concludes on Saturday, Feb. 25, when ESPN and CBS Sports Network will utilize the Wildcard Selection process to choose from five games — Illinois State at UNI, Indiana State at Evansville, Wichita State at Missouri State, Loyola at Southern Illinois and Bradley at Drake.
The wildcard games selected to air on ESPN and CBS Sports Network will be announced on Friday, Feb. 10.
CBS Sports’ coverage of the 2017 State Farm MVC Men’s Basketball Championship — the league’s 27th consecutive tournament in St. Louis — will include the semifinal games on March 4 on CBS Sports Network. The title contest on March 5 will air at 1 p.m. Central on CBS Sports.
There will also be additional non-conference exposure through Loyola’s participation in the Paradise Jam and Drake’s participation in the Great Alaska Shootout in November.
Should Loyola win its first-round game against Saint Joseph’s on Nov. 18, the Ramblers will meet the winner of Oral Roberts-Ole Miss on CBS Sports Network at 5 p.m. Central on Nov. 20. They could also gain an appearance at 5 or 7:30 p.m. Central on Nov. 21.
Drake plays Iona on Nov. 24 at 8 p.m. Central on CBS Sports Network. Both semifinals on Nov. 25 and the championship game on Nov. 26 are being carried by CBS Sports Network.
The final non-conference contest for the league on CBS Sports Network will occur on Saturday, December 3 at 4 p.m. Central, when Wichita State visits Colorado State in a Mountain West-Missouri Valley Challenge game — one of nine such match-ups contested on that date.
The two leagues are in the second year of a four-year Challenge series, their second such term following a previous series played from 2009 to 2012.
Evansville, Indiana State, Southern Illinois and Wichita State were victorious in the 2015 Challenge.
VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES
 Below are the felony cases filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office today.
Alicia Outlaw Battery against a public safety official, Level 6 felony
Resisting law enforcement, Class A misdemeanor
Disorderly conduct, Class B misdemeanor
Audrey Uvette Hurtz Invasion of privacy
George D. Jones Jr. Battery against a public safety official, Level 6 felony
Resisting law enforcement, Class A misdemeanor
Criminal trespass, Class A misdemeanor
Disorderly conduct, Class B misdemeanor
Charles Adrian Blair II Carrying a handgun without a license, Level 5 felony
Possession of methamphetamine, Level 5 felony
Possession of marijuana, Class A misdemeanor
Possession of paraphernalia, Class C misdemeanor
Adopt A Pet
Montana is a 2-year-old female calico cat. She’s the mom of the “M state†kittens, two of whom are still up for adoption. Take her home spayed, microchipped, and vaccinated for only $30! Contact the Vanderburgh Humane Society at (812) 426-2563 or www.vhslifesaver.org for details!    Â
First Lady Karen Pence to Visit Ivy Tech Community College Culinary Class Tomorrow
First Lady Karen Pence to Visit Ivy Tech Community College Culinary Class Tomorrow
Will Also Hold Press Conference to Announce Third Annual Phone Drive Initiative with HopeLine from Verizon
Indianapolis – Tomorrow, First Lady Karen Pence will visit Ivy Tech Community College to meet with students studying Culinary Arts. She will be visiting students in a Basic Food Theory Class, where she will donate Indiana First Lady’s Charitable Foundation cookbooks and Indiana-shaped wood cutting boards.   The First Lady’s Charitable Foundation will donate a total of 215 cookbooks and Indiana-shaped wood cutting boards to Ivy Tech culinary students. Later in the morning, First Lady Karen Pence will hold a press conference detailing her phone drive initiative with HopeLine from Verizon. HopeLine refurbishes donated cell phones and provides them to domestic violence survivors, or sells them to raise funds for the program. Last year, the Office of the First Lady collected 1,367 cell phones from state employees for the initiative. Neil Krevda, Vice President of Governmental Affairs for Verizon Wireless in Indiana, will give remarks on behalf of Verizon HopeLine. Details below.
Friday, September 30:
9:30 a.m. EDT – First Lady Karen Pence to visit Ivy Tech Community College Culinary Class
*Media are welcome to attend.
Ivy Tech Community College – Corporate College and Culinary Center (Room 218), 2820 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN
10:30 a.m. EDT – First Lady Karen Pence to hold a press conference detailing her phone drive initiative with HopeLine from Verizon
Statehouse – outside Room 215, North Atrium, 200 W. Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN
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