Where a suspect has not been arrested, arraigned or indicted, a polygraph examination and post-testing interrogation do not constitute critical stages upon which the right to counsel attaches. Evidence that a polygraph examination directly preceded a confession, occurred in the exact same room, and involved the same officer to which the confession was given may be admissible. Consistent with Indiana Rule of Evidence 106, the preliminaries to a polygraph examination, the examination itself, and the subsequent police interview are all part of one recorded statement, and fairness dictates that neither party should be able to decide that the jury will hear only the parts of the statement it deems favorable to its case.
Appeals
Waggoner v. Anonymous Healthcare System, Inc., No. 24A-CT-469, __ N.E.3d __ (Ind. Ct. App., Jan. 23, 2025).
In a medical malpractice case, trial court could not address whether healthcare provider was statutorily immune from liability as a preliminary question of law.
Kelly v. State, No. 24A-CT-859, __ N.E.3d __ (Ind. Ct. App., Dec. 23, 2024).
The State is not obligated to defend and indemnify a former state agency employee for civil liability stemming from employee’s criminal conduct.
In re Adoption of R.G.B., No. 24A-CT-859, __ N.E.3d __ (Ind. Ct. App., Dec. 23, 2024).
Waiver of the home study requirement in an adoption when the adoptive parents are not a stepparent or the grandparents is reversible error.
Cohen v. State, No. 24A-CR-710, __ N.E.3d __ (Ind. Ct. App., Dec. 23, 2024).
Once a defendant demonstrates that they have testified pursuant to a grant of immunity to matters related to the prosecution before a grand jury, the State has the burden of showing an independent, legitimate source for the disputed evidence if the defendant/witness is the target of the same grand jury.