Speed-limit sign facing southbound traffic, reducing speed limit from 55 to 35 mph, was ineffective against northbound motorist, despite county ordinance setting 35 mph speed limit unless otherwise designated; by state law, default speed limit for the road was 55 mph unless “appropriate signs giving notice of the altered limit are erected on the street or highway.”
Criminal
Rhodes v. State, No. 49A02-1503-CR-173, ___ N.E.3d ___ (Ind. Ct. App. Jan. 19, 2016).
Inventory search of defendant’s vehicle was unconstitutional, absent proof of existence of (or compliance with) established police procedures for such searches.
Kansas v. Carr, No. 14-449, ___ U.S. ___ (Jan. 20, 2016).
The Eighth Amendment does not require capital-sentencing courts to instruct a jury that mitigating circumstances need not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Joint capital-sentencing proceeding did not violate defendants’ Eighth Amendment right to an “individualized sentencing determination.”
Garcia v. State, No. 49S05-1505-CR-335, ___ N.E.3d ___ (Ind. Jan. 21, 2016).
Searching contents of pill container, which had already been seized incident to lawful arrest, was reasonable under the Indiana Constitution.
State v. Hancock, No. 39A05-1506-CR-633, ___ N.E.3d ___ (Ind. Ct. App. Jan. 22, 2016).
Elements of Ohio residential burglary offense were not “substantially similar” to Indiana offense, and therefore did not establish serious violent felon (SVF) status.