Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act does not apply to child abuse; protecting children from physical abuse is a compelling governmental interest and prosecution is the least restrictive means of furthering that interest. To that end, Indiana offers the parental privilege as a defense to battery and similar crimes rather than completely banning the practice of corporal punishments. This accommodates religious practices which require reasonable corporal punishment.
Criminal
Russell v. State, No. 21A-CR-2313, __ N.E.3d __ (Ind. Ct. App., June 20, 2022).
There are two avenues for the use of home detention following conviction: 1) home detention as a condition of probation under Ind. Code § 35-38-2.5; and 2) home detention as a direct commitment to Community Corrections under Ind. Code § 35-38-2.6. A trial court must enter a home detention order when a defendant is sentenced to home detention as a condition of probation.
Wilson v. State, No. 21A-CR-2308, __ N.E.3d __ (Ind. Ct. App., June 2, 2022).
Pursuant to Ind. Code § 35-38-1-17, a trial court’s authority to modify a sentence does not extend to parole.
Galloway, Jr. v. State, No. 21A-CR-1127, __ N.E.3d __ (Ind. Ct. App., May 24, 2022).
A party who has rendered a witness unavailable for cross-examination through a criminal act may not object to the introduction of hearsay statements by the witness on confrontation grounds.
Mitchell v. State, No. 21A-CR-2722, __ N.E.3d __ (Ind. Ct. App., May 25, 2022).
To be convicted of battery by means of a deadly weapon, the statute requires only that the weapon is readily capable of causing serious bodily injury in the manner in which it was used, could be used, or was intended to be used; there is no requirement that the weapon caused such injury.