Governor Mike Pence and First Lady Karen Pence today welcomed more than 500 Hoosier fourth grade students to the Statehouse to kick off Indiana’s bicentennial celebration. The Governor proclaimed the day Statehood Day, to mark the 199th anniversary of Indiana becoming the nineteenth state in the Union.

“The First Lady and I were pleased to welcome fourth graders to the Statehouse today to reflect on the remarkable progress Hoosiers have charted over our 199 years of history,” said Governor Pence. “In commemorating this special birthday, we usher in a historic, year-long bicentennial celebration of the enduring Hoosier spirit and the future that lies before us.”

During the day’s festivities, Governor Pence and Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann unveiled the Bicentennial Relay torch, the signature piece of the Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay.   The torch was designed by engineering faculty and students at Purdue University. Beginning in September of next year, Hoosiers will symbolically “pass the torch,”, touching each of Indiana’s 92 counties along a 2,300 mile journey across the state.

Governor Pence read a Statehood Day proclamation and named Jenna Grubb from New Britton Elementary in Fishers, Indiana the first place winner of the annual Statehood Day essay contest. Her essay can be read in fullhere.

Students had the opportunity to visit the Governor’s booth to depict what they would try to accomplish if they were governor. They were also able to learn some interesting facts about Indiana through an interactive display that showcased what the state has to offer. Fourth graders who visited the First Lady’s booth were greeted by Pence family pets Marlon Bundo, a rabbit, and Saphira, a snake.

Attached are photos from today’s event.

Jennifer Nelson for www.theindianalawyer.com

A trial court should have reduced a father’s child support obligation to his three children because his daughter’s emancipation constitutes a substantial and continuing change, the Indiana Court of Appeals held Friday. The trial court denied the father’s motion because the amount of child support offered differed by less than 20 percent of the amount dictated by the Indiana Child Support Guidelines.

Wayne Patton sought modification of his parenting time with his son W.P. as well as the reduction in $160 in weekly child support for W.P., Ja. P. and Ju. P. In July 2011, Jessica Patton filed for divorce; in 2012, Wayne Patton was convicted of child seduction for fondling Ja. P.’s breasts when she was 16.

Father wanted to no longer have to have supervised visits with his son. He was evaluated by a clinical and forensic psychologist, who found indications of defensiveness and poor judgment and decision-making. The psychologist also expressed doubts regarding father’s psychological functioning.

The trial court denied father’s motion, finding that supervised visits should continue based on the psychologist’s opinion and the nature of graphic comic books given to W.P. by his father. The judge allowed father’s mother to act as supervisor of parenting time or Wayne Patton could continue to visit with his son at the Children’s First Center at his expense.

The judge also denied father’s request for the child support reduction because the amount of child support calculated in the child support obligation worksheet, $136.42, did not differ by more than 20 percent of the support presently calculated.

“[W]e have little trouble concluding that Ja.P.’s emancipation warrants a modification of Father’s support obligation. Father’s current obligation is based on support for three children, whereas he is now obligated to support only two. The Child Support Obligation Worksheet prepared for this case, based on Father’s support of Ju.P. and W.P, and attached to the trial court’s order recommends a support obligation of $136.42 per week. Mother does not argue that the recommended obligation is based on incorrect calculations or faulty assumptions, and we see no other reason to depart from it. Consequently, we remand with instructions to modify Father’s child support obligation to $136.42 per week,” Judge Cale Bradford wrote.

The judges affirmed the decision to continue with supervised visits with W.P.

The case is Wayne Patton v. Jessica Patton, 17A04-1503-DR-137.