Nine Inmates Complete Chemical Dependency and Addictions Program

Nine Starke County Justice Center inmates recently graduated from a Chemical Dependency and Addictions Program.

The program focuses on addiction thought processes and criminal behavior. The inmates learn how to overcome their addiction while restructuring thoughts and behavior.

Porter-Starke Services therapists dedicate time to help the inmates conquer the program. Inmates focus on self awareness and self improvement in treatment sessions over a period of 14 weeks. Inmates develop skills to manage stress, anger, cravings and appropriate ways to respond to triggers. Critical reasoning and decision making skills are also taught in these courses. Continue reading

Trials Set in Starke Circuit Court

Trial dates were set for several defendants in Starke Circuit Court on Thursday morning.

Jerry Leonard, of Knox, is charged with four felony counts of child molesting. Two counts are Class A felonies and the remaining counts are Class C felonies. His trial with a 12-member jury is expected to start Jan. 8, 2018. There is a plea agreement deadline date in this case of Dec. 15.

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Status Hearing Set in the Case of Jason Cooke

The Plymouth man allegedly involved in the robbery and beating of a Knox man in October of 2015 will appear in Starke Circuit Court this afternoon for a status hearing.

Jason Cooke is accused of hitting Sescoe Wireman in the head and taking money, prescription medication, an Indiana ID card, and multiple credit cards in an incident that occurred at a home in the 100 block of East 500 South in Knox on Oct. 7, 2015. Court documents state that multiple strikes to Wireman’s head led to his death. Continue reading

Surgery Delays Murder Trial, Prompts Reevaluation of Jail Medical Contract

  A murder trial scheduled to start April 13 in Starke Circuit Court has been pushed back to at least July so the defendant can have surgery deemed medically necessary by a provider under contract with the county. Gary Chavez is accused of beating his estranged wife, Kimberly Chavez, to death at their rural California Township home last June. From there police say he drove to Mark Bailey’s Discount Center, kidnapped an employee and drove to English Lake where he’s accused of stealing a second vehicle. Chavez then led police on a high-speed chase into LaPorte and Porter Counties, according to court records. He’s accused of stealing a third vehicle in Kouts and continuing into Lake County. Police there say Chavez shot himself in the face when officers in Crown Point managed to stop his vehicle. He was airlifted to a Chicagoland area hospital and released to the custody of the Starke County Sheriff last August. Chavez remains in jail. Continue reading

Two Sentenced in Starke Circuit Court

 A man was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court on Wednesday on two charges after a battery incident in North Judson on March 15.

Michael Hanley, Jr., 30, of North Judson pleaded guilty in a plea agreement with the state in September to a charge of criminal confinement as a Class C felony and residential entry as a Class D felony. He admitted in open court to entering the home of a North Judson man without consent and blocking the door so he couldn’t leave while a co-defendant allegedly battered the victim. The co-defendant’s case is still pending a resolution as he participates in drug rehab.

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Competitive Grant Awarded to Help Treat Offenders with Mental Disorders

  
 

A grant in the amount of $175,000 has been awarded locally to provide treatment to adult offenders diagnosed with a mental disorder.

Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall and Porter Circuit Court Judge Mary Harper worked together with Porter-Starke Services to secure this competitive grant which requires no local match money. Only 12 grants were distributed.

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New CASA Volunteers Sworn into Service

Judge Kim Hall swore in new CASA members Rebecca Berg, Patricia Camp, Katlyn Foust, and John Wampler.
Judge Kim Hall swore in new CASA members Rebecca Berg, Patricia Camp, Katlyn Foust, and John Wampler.

Four new Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, members were sworn into service by Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall in a special ceremony Tuesday.

Katlyn Foust, Patricia Camp, Rebecca Berg, John Wampler each completed 30 hours of classroom training plus an hour of observing cases. They all passed four separate background checks, including a federal fingerprint search.

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Criminal Charges Against Todd Boldry Dropped, Voluntarily Surrenders Teacher’s License

Todd Boldry
Todd Boldry

A motion was filed and signed to drop the criminal charges against Todd Boldry in an agreement that he would surrender his teaching license permanently.

Starke County Prosecutor Nicholas Bourff explained that the victim in the case didn’t want Boldry to necessarily get prison time for the offense that occurred between 2007 and 2008; she just wanted him to lose the ability to teach.

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Jennie Carter Bench Trial to Continue Today

Jennie Carter
Jennie Carter

Final arguments will continue today in Starke Circuit Court in the case of Jennie Carter.

Carter is facing a count of Theft as a Class D Felony in a bench trial began last Wednesday. Three witnesses testified including the lead Indiana State Police investigator in the case, Debbie Mix of the Starke County Tourism Commission and Starke County Chamber of Commerce and Jennie Carter herself.

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Indiana House to Review Overhaul of Criminal Sentencing Code

 Beginning today, the Indiana House will be taking a look at rewriting the decades-old criminal sentencing code.

The Criminal Code Evaluation Committee has agreed that the main overhaul of the code focuses on consistency, proportionality, like-sentences for like-crimes, new criminal penalties and sentencing schemes designed to keep dangerous offenders in prison, but avoid using prison space for non-violent offenders.

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Starke County Republicans to be Sworn in Today

Starke County Courthouse

Three Starke County Republicans will be sworn into office today by Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall.

Kathy Norem and Kent Danford will take the oath of office of Starke County Commissioner and Bryan Cavender will be sworn in as a Starke County Councilman.

The ceremony will take place in the Starke Circuit Courtroom on the third floor of the courthouse at 3 p.m. CT.

Starke County Republicans to be Sworn into Office Next Week

The Starke County Republican swearing-in ceremony is set for Monday, December 31 at 3:00 p.m. CT.

Starke County Commissioner Kathy Norem ran unopposed in the General Election and was retained in her District and Kent Danford won in his District over Dan Bridegroom in November. They will take the oaths of office along with newly elected Starke County Council member, Bryan Cavendar.

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Plea Agreement Rejected For Robert Reed

Robert Reed

A plea agreement was rejected for Robert Reed, who was arrested on charges stemming from an alleged robbery and attempted murder case in San Pierre on May 22, 2011. The plea agreement would have sentenced Reed to 24 months in the Department of Corrections on charges of Receiving Stolen Property and Resisting Law Enforcement. None of that sentence would have been suspended.

Reed is currently being held in the Westville Correctional Facility, and was never transported to Starke County for his hearing. Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall rejected the agreement, and set a jury trial date of Aug. 1, with a pretrial motions and instructions hearing on July 31 at 1 p.m. A jury status hearing will take place on July 20 at 9 a.m., with a final pretrial conference and plea agreement deadline of July 13 at 9 a.m.

Starke County Jail Committee Holds Meeting

Starke County Jail

The Starke County Jail Committee recently met with representatives from the DLZ Architectural Firm, Skillman Corporation, Umbaugh and Associates, and Ice Miller Legal Councilors.

The next phase of the committee’s work is the data collection by Paul Downing of DLZ. Downing said after he collects the data, including jail bed needs, he will pass the information along to the architectural team.

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Bond Set in Knox Swim Coach Arrest

Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall set a $15,000 bond for Knox Community School swim coach Robert R. Corbin, who is charged with two counts of Attempted Child Seduction as Class D felonies. Corbin, 27, is also prohibited from making any contact with the victim.

In the affidavit in support of probable cause filed today in circuit court by Starke County Prosecutor Nicholas Bourff and prepared by Knox City Police Department Detective David Combs, it is alleged that on Wednesday, March 28, Knox Police Department Officer Chad Keen responded to a call and went to a residence in Knox. He was informed by the victim’s father that his sixteen-year-old daughter had been receiving inappropriate messages from a Knox teacher, and Officer Keen took printed pages of Facebook messages between his daughter and Corbin.
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Plea Agreements In Murriah Dailey Attempted Murder and Robert Reed Robbery Case Move Forward In Starke Circuit Court

Murriah Dailey
Robert Reed

Plea agreements have been filed in open court for Murriah Dailey and Robert Reed. Dailey was previously charged with two counts of Attempted Murder as a Class A felony, Attempted Escape, Robbery, Receiving Stolen Property, two counts of Resisting Law Enforcement, and Striking A Law Enforcement Animal. Reed faced charges of Robbery, Receiving Stolen Property, two counts of Resisting Law Enforcement, and one count of Habitual Traffic Violator. Murriah Dailey appeared in front of Starke Circuit Court Magistrate Jeanene Calabrese on March 26th 2012 and the plea agreement was found to be acceptable.

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Special Prosecutor Named to Impropriety Case

A special prosecutor has been named to handle the case against Sheriff Oscar Cowen in which claims of impropriety were filed by former deputy Don Ferguson. Curtis Hill of Elkhart County has been named, but he has not yet accepted the position. Prosecutor Nicholas Bourff petitioned for a special prosecutor because of his close work relationship with the Starke County Police.

The Special Judge assigned to the case, Honorable Jeffrey Thode of Porter Superior Court #6 located in Portage, Ind., will replace Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall who issued an Order of Recusal and Assignment of a Special Judge to the case.