Companion case to Rodriguez v. State reaffirming that trial courts are bound by the terms of a plea agreement and may only modify a sentence in a way that would have been authorized at the time of sentencing.
Cardosi v. State, No. 18S-LW-181, __ N.E.3d __ (Ind., August 7, 2019).
Defendant’s conviction of murder and sentence to life in prison without parole upheld, finding that the evidence was sufficient, jurors were properly admonished, co-conspirator’s text messages were properly admitted, reading a withdrawn accomplice liability instruction was not improper, and court properly considered a non-statutory aggravator when imposing sentence.
Wallick v. Inman, No. 18A-CT-2519, __ N.E.3d __ (Ind. Ct. App., Aug. 7, 2019).
The trial judge has broad discretion to rehabilitate jurors and deny for-cause challenges. The trial judge properly denied for-cause challenges after asking the prospective jurors if they could set aside personal biases, beliefs, and prejudices and follow instructions as given.
Murray v. Indianapolis Public Schools, No. 19S-CT-282, __ N.E.3d __ (Ind., Aug. 8, 2019).
Student was contributorily negligent for his death when his leaving school to purchase either guns or drugs was not an exercise of reasonable care and caution for his safety.
In re M.I., No. 19S-JT-281, __ N.E.3d __ (Ind., Aug. 9, 2019).
Despite Mother’s ongoing inability to secure suitable housing, the trial court properly concluded that terminating her parental rights would not be in her children’s best interests.