SPONSORED BY DEFENSE ATTORNEY IVAN ARNAEZ.
 DON’T GO TO COURT ALONE. CALL IVAN ARNAEZ @ 812-424-6671.
EPD Activity Report
Â
 SPONSORED BY DEFENSE ATTORNEY IVAN ARNAEZ.
 DON’T GO TO COURT ALONE. CALL IVAN ARNAEZ @ 812-424-6671.
Governor Pence Names Brandye Hendrickson Commissioner of Indiana Department of Transportation
Â
Indianapolis—Governor Mike Pence today named Brandye Hendrickson as Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Transportation, effective immediately. Governor Pence earlier today accepted Commissioner Karl Browning’s resignation.
“With more than a decade of executive experience in state government, Brandye Hendrickson has demonstrated a commitment to public service and a nearly unmatched depth of understanding of the Indiana Department of Transportation,†said Governor Pence. “I am confident that she will uphold the agency’s mission and serve Hoosiers well as Commissioner.â€
Since 2007, Hendrickson has served as Deputy Commissioner for the Indiana Department of Transportation, specifically overseeing the agency’s Greenfield District Operations which encompasses East Central Indiana, including Indianapolis. In this role, her responsibilities include managing an annual construction budget of approximately $700 million and an annual operating budget of $50 million. Hendrickson oversees a workforce of 360 employees responsible for the planning, design, construction, maintenance and operation of INDOT’s transportation infrastructure within the district. In 2013, Governor Pence named her as Interim Commissioner at INDOT, a role she held for seven weeks. Previously, Hendrickson served as Deputy Commissioner for Human Resources within INDOT and more than six years as Human Resources Director for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
“I appreciate the opportunity to continue my service to Hoosiers as head of the Indiana Department of Transportation,†said Hendrickson. “I look forward to contributing further to the accomplishments of the Pence administration.â€
MEDICARE SEMINARÂ SET FOR TUESDAY, MAY 19THÂ
St. Mary’s Senior Connection will hold a Welcome to Medicare seminar Tuesday, May 19 at 4:00 p.m. at 951 S. Hebron Ave., Suite C (between Bellemeade and Washington Ave.) adjacent to the Senior Connection Office.
When individuals and their families are new to the federal Medicare program, it can be confusing and frustrating at first glance. This program will help you better understand the many different parts of Medicare and what your options are when you enroll.
This is an informational program only. No specific plans or companies will be discussed. The seminar will be presented by Gina Downs, Director of St. Mary’s Senior Connection. It is free but registration is required. Call St. Mary’s Senior Connection at 812-473-7271 or toll free at 800-258-7610 for reservations and directions.
VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES
 Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Monday, April 20, 2015
Lindsay Cargill            Possession of Methamphetamine-Level 6 Felony
False Informing-Class B Misdemeanor
Jill Goodman                  Battery on a Person Less than 14 Years Old-Level 5 Felonies (Two Counts)
Quinn McGuffin          Battery on a Person Less than 14 Years Old-Level 5 Felony
Domestic Battery-Level 6 Felony
Strangulation-Level 6 Felony
William Becker           Battery by Means of a Deadly Weapon-Level 5 Felony
Steven Lewis                Operating a Vehicle with an ACE of .08 or More-Level 6 Felony
Darla Mitchell                Domestic Battery-Level 6 Felony
Mason Todd                 Dealing in a Schedule II Controlled Substance-Level 2 Felony
Possession of Paraphernalia-Class A Misdemeanor
Possession of Marijuana-Class B Misdemeanor
Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Edward Meriwether      Domestic Battery-Level 6 Felony
Strangulation-Level 6 Felony
Jason Pike              Dealing in Methamphetamine-Level 2 Felony
Dealing in a Schedule II Controlled Substance-Level 3 Felony
Dealing in a Narcotic Drug-Level 4 Felony
Dealing in a Schedule IV Controlled Substance-level 5 Felony
Battery Against a Public Safety Official-Level 5 Felony
Resisting Law Enforcement-Level 6 Felony
Legend Drug Deception-Level 6 Felony
Maintaining a Common Nuisance-Level 6 Felony
Dealing in Marijuana-Level 6 Felony
Travis Cox                 Leaving the Scene of an Accident-Level 3 Felony
Causing Serious Bodily Injury when Operating a Motor Vehicle with an ACE of
.08 or More-Level 5 Felony
Criminal Recklessness-Level 6 Felony
Derek Johnson                 Possession of Cocaine-Level 6 Felony
Possession of Marijuana-Class A Misdemeanor
James Johnson                Maintaining a Common Nuisance-Level 6 Felony
Possession of Paraphernalia-Class A Misdemeanor
Michelle Johnson           Maintaining a Common Nuisance-Level 6 Felony
Possession of Paraphernalia-Class A Misdemeanor
 Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Montrako Bradley        Operating a Motor Vehicle after Forfeiture of License for Life-Level 5 Felony
Derek Johnson            Trafficking with an Inmate-Level 5 Felony
Michael Johnston      Operating a Vehicle with an ACE of .15 or More-Level 6 Felony
Timothy Keller               Operating a Motor Vehicle after Forfeiture of License for Life-Level 5 Felony
Nicole Montgomery Intimidation-Level 5 Felony
Deariel Simmons          Dealing in Cocaine-Level 4 Felony
Possession of Marijuana-Class B Misdemeanor
Daron Thomas              Possession of Narcotic Drug-Level 6 Felony
Derrick Thompson      Impersonation of a Public Servant-Level 6 Felony
Resisting Law Enforcement-Class A Misdemeanor
Public Intoxication-Class B Misdemeanor
Disorderly Conduct-Class B Misdemeanor
Michael White              Possession of Methamphetamine-Level 6 Felony
Tanisha Wolfe               Dealing in a Narcotic Drug-Level 5 Felony
Dealing in a Schedule IV Controlled Substance-Class A Misdemeanor
Possession of Paraphernalia-Class A Misdemeanor
Shannon Adcox            Domestic Battery-Level 6 Felony
Strangulation-Level 6 Felony
James Ellis                      Operating a Vehicle as an Habitual Traffic Violator-Level 6 Felony
Resisting Law Enforcement-Level 6 Felony
Resisting Law Enforcement-Class A Misdemeanor
Michael Leimkuehler  Intimidation-Level 6 Felonies (Two Counts)
Hillary Rhodes              Battery by Means of a Deadly Weapon-Level 5 Felony
Shirley Thompson IIÂ Â Â Â Â Neglect of Dependent-Level 6 Felony
Public Intoxication-Class B Misdemeanor
Daniel Wilhite               Dealing in Methamphetamine-Level 4 Felony
Dealing in a Schedule I Controlled Substance-Level 5 Felony
Dealing in a Schedule II Controlled Substance-Level 5 Felony
Dealing in Marijuana-Level 6 Felony
Legend Drug Deception-Level 6 Felony
Possession of Paraphernalia-Class A Misdemeanor
For further information on the cases listed above, or any pending case, please contact Kyle Phernetton at 812.435.5688 or via e-mail at kphernetton@vanderburghgov.org
Under Indiana law, all criminal defendants are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty by a court of law
Daily Topic Forum April 25, 2015
ENJOY YOUR NEW “OFF TOPIC FORUM” AS OF APRIL 25, 2015
For the last couple of month we have been watching our bloggers getting off topic. Sometime the posters got real personal and insulting. With much thought and planning we have decided to add a new section to the CCO so you can go off topic long as you want. The name of this new section is called “OFF TOPIC FORUM.”  We placed this new section in the upper right hand corner.  This site is ready for you to post your off messages on a daily basis.
Attached is the new CCO posting rules for your review and compliance.
CITY COUNTY OBSERVER New Posting Rules And Guidelines As Of April, 25, 2015
We reserve the right to remove any post that we feel is obscene, profane, vulgar, racist, sexually explicit, threatening, abusive, or hateful.  Comments should further the discussion on a given subject or article and not veer off topic unless your posting on the “OFF TOPIC FORUM.”  We reserve the right to remove comments posted for sock puppeting purposes, where a user creates another persona to comment on their own previous comment.
You are legally responsible for what you post. Your anonymity is not guaranteed on this site. City County Observer will not share your private information with anyone unless you expressly instruct us to do so or we are required by law to do so. Â We do not sell, rent, or give your information to any other company.
No solicitations are allowed. Links to other informational websites may be deleted if they are off topic or violate the substantive provisions of this policy.
City County Observer has created this privacy statement in order to better allow for the exchange and dialogue of ideas in promoting better public policy. Â At the same time, we have a strong commitment to privacy.
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ OUR READERS POLL QUESTION AND CAST YOUR VOTE ACCORDINGLY. ALSO PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ TODAYS FEATURE ARTICLE POSTED ON THE UPPER LEFT HAND PAGE.
A COUNTRY FOUNDED ON LAW by Jim Redwine
Gavel Gamut
By Jim Redwine
(Week of 27 April 2015)
A COUNTRY FOUNDED ON LAW
President Eisenhower had some good ideas. While I sometimes have my doubts about the interstate highway system as Peg and I play Dodge’Em Cars while traveling this great country, Eisenhower’s desire to recreate the German Autobahn system for America was one good idea.
And Ike’s elevation of democracy over tyranny, the ballot over bullets, may ring somewhat ironic when, according to him, the first vote he ever cast was for himself for president, he saw first hand what bullets could do. Who more than a soldier knows the value of peace? Therefore, President Eisenhower’s proclamation of Law Day came from both experience and wisdom.
A special day for Americans to remember why law, not dogma, was the Founding Fathers’ Holy Grail was another good idea. If one has any doubts about this approach, she or he need only look to those countries where dogma is ascendant. Law Day is not just a celebration, it is a way of life for our nation.
Of course, a “Nation of Laws, not people†is our ideal. As with most ideals, we humans frequently fall short. So did the Founding Fathers. Women, African Americans, Native Americans, young people and those of the LGBT community, among others, were ignored, or worse, by the law when we started this grand experiment. But the struggle continues to be slowly advanced due to our tendency to rely on the adaptable law instead of any immutable ideology or theology.
As our nation celebrates the Rule of Law over anarchy or despotism this Law Day, we can also remember to thank those leaders such as General Eisenhower who helped preserve our ability to do so.
Drawing close to the 2015 legislative session
|
With the end of session drawing near, there are still many bills going through the legislative process and making their way to the governor’s desk. Many important pieces of legislation like the Indiana budget requires extensive discussion and debate and will not be finalized until the very end of our time here.
There are many factors to consider when crafting the state’s spending and savings plan for the next two years. Overall, our goal is to pass an honestly balanced budget with no tax increases that funds our state’s priorities, mainly education and public safety. While the budget includes additional funding for several public safety initiatives, I was also proud to work on several bills this session towards this goal. Currently, Senate Bill (SB) 532, which works to combat human trafficking, is making its way through this process. As House sponsor, SB 532 would establish the Human Trafficking Prevention and Victim Assistance Fund by utilizing funds acquired from crimes involving human trafficking. Creating this fund will not only help provide victims of human trafficking with specialized services, but also works to reduce the amount of victims trafficked in Indiana. |
TeamHealth Honors Emergency Physician Otto Charles Susec Jr., MD, at St. Mary’s Health
Otto Charles Susec Jr., MD, medical director of the emergency department at St. Mary’s Health in Evansville, Indiana, and St. Mary’s Warrick in Boonville, Indiana, was recently named Medical Director of the Year for TeamHealth’s Emergency Medicine Central Group. The awards ceremony was held April 15 in Dallas, Texas, during TeamHealth’s National Medical Director Leadership Conference. Selected by TeamHealth’s operating presidents, Dr. Susec is among nine individuals out of more than 750 clinical leaders across the country who were recognized for excellence in physician leadership.
“We are pleased to announce and honor our 2015 Medical Directors of the Year,†said Miles Snowden, MD, chief medical officer for TeamHealth. “These distinguished men and women personify physician leadership as they provide compassionate, high-quality care for patients, excellent service for our hospital partners and outstanding leadership for their respective clinical teams.â€
“Dr. Susec understands the importance of everyone on the team,†said Nancy McCleary, Executive Director Emergency Department for St. Mary’s Health. “He graciously recognizes associates for their effort, is insightful into their strengths, and quickly recognizes others for their contributions.â€
St. Mary’s is part of Ascension, the nation’s largest Catholic and non-profit health system.
Justices affirm LWOP sentence, admission of suicide note
Jennifer Nelson for www.theindianalawyer.com
A southern Indiana man challenging his robbery and murder convictions and sentence to spend the rest of his life in prison lost his appeal before the Indiana Supreme Court Thursday. The justices rejected the man’s claim that his sentence should be reduced to a term of years.
Charles Stephenson was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the 2012 robbery and murder of 67-year-old Leigh Jennings in Aurora. Stephenson, who was heavily in debt, had borrowed money from Jennings in the past, who distrusted banks and kept her money at her house. She was found brutally bludgeoned to death in her kitchen. Several days after her body was discovered, police went to Stephenson’s home and found he had attempted suicide. A suicide note denied any involvement in the murder.
Stephenson raised multiple claims in Charles Stephenson v. State of Indiana, 15S00-1401-LW-40, including that the physical evidence had to show that the violence against Jennings was part of a plan to take her property and not just part of the murder; and that evidence regarding his attempted suicide should not have been admitted at trial.
“There is no evidentiary support for the defense theory that the defendant first murdered Jennings and only thereafter decided to take her property,†Justice Brent Dickson wrote. “To the contrary, the evidence and its reasonable inferences show that the defendant, deep in debt, distraught, and desperate for cash, (1) went to Jennings home purposefully to obtain money and, either in response to her refusal to give it to him or in the absence of such refusal, (2) struck her in the head multiple times, killing her, and then (3) took cash from her safes. Obtaining Jennings’s money was the defendant’s objective. Whether the murder was committed in the course of the robbery or after its completion does not undermine the correctness of the robbery conviction.â€
Stephenson argued the attempted suicide evidence was inadmissible because it wasn’t relevant to Jennings’ murder, and even if it was, it should have been excluded under Ind. Evidence Rule 403 because any probative value was outweighed by the prejudicial impact.
“We decline to find that the mere existence of an attempted suicide, without more, is relevant evidence of a person’s guilty conscience about committing a charged crime, especially a charged crime which the person expressly disavows when the suicide is attempted. Because we conclude that the attempted suicide evidence was relevant to the issue of motive for the ensuing robbery and murder, however, its tenuous use as evidence of consciousness of guilt does not undermine its admissibility,†Dickson wrote.
The high court found the circumstances of the crime support the sentence of life without parole and refused to reduce Stephenson’s sentence to a term of years.