The Attorneys at Dixon & Moseley, P.C.
Strong, Trial-Ready Advocates Protecting Your Rights
On Wednesday, August 8, 2018, a decision1 was handed down by the Indiana Court of Appeals that is poised to dramatically increase the number of drug charges and convictions. This is alarming since the headlines of Indiana’s news stories continually recount the State’s “opioid crisis”. At the same time, statistics reflect county jails and Indiana’s prisons are “full” of inmates…
In Indiana, and in virtually all other courts across the United States, attorneys and judges have “wrestled” with evidentiary issues surrounding social media (is it admissible?) in all sorts of ways in civil and criminal cases: How do you authenticate something is actually real (versus fabricated) in cyberspace, never existing in a tangible form? Many of these questions have been…
Perhaps everyone has observed a television legal show where a witness “cracks” on cross-examination and admits to a crime;1 or in a civil case, the point a party or witness makes some other admission or statement when cross-examined by the opposing party’s attorney that ends the case. An example is when a witness or party is confronted with an incriminating…
Most of us understand we have a Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. This means in any civil matter, administrative proceeding, or criminal context, we can choose to assert our Fifth Amendment privilege and remain silent; we cannot be forced to say anything that might expose (incriminate) us to criminal prosecution. This blog explores a key case now brought by the…
What Parents (And Those Around Children) Need to Know About Removal as Punishment and Its Connection to Divorce, DCS Investigations, And Criminal Charges Parents who have children heavily involved with the use of electronics have all probably observed a “meltdown” when devices are taken as a form of punishment. However, with a certain segment of children—even very young children—mainstream psychology…
Probation is often a tool used by trial courts and is normally within their discretion to order in most cases. It is obviously a desirous outcome for judges, the community, and defendant. Most of the time it keeps the defendant out of jail, at home and work, and the taxpayers from paying for criminal incarceration. However, violations of the terms…
In criminal and domestic cases in particular, a litigant is often at his or her lowest point in life, facing a serious criminal charge or a messy and protracted divorce. The outcome of the case may shape their future. For this reason, most lawyers have encountered family and friends wanting to pitch-in to fund a proper case for a loved…
In Indiana, there are thousands of DCS’ investigations each year. Many result in filing a petition to open a CHINS’ action against the parents. In the initial investigation from the DCS to and through the hearing, if a CHINS petition is filed, parents have the constitutional right to counsel. The question this blog post focuses on is, “Should parents have…
A. The right to use force and deadly force in Indiana. Under Indiana’s use of force statute, a person is justified in using reasonable force against another person to protect the person or a third party from what the person believes to be the imminent use of unlawful force. Further, a person is justified in using deadly force and does…
Criminal matters are generally thought of in two or three categories: Felonies, Misdemeanors, and Infractions.1 Generally, infractions are offenses that are punishable by a fine but not jail time, such as a speeding or parking ticket. Felonies and misdemeanors are labeled by numbers regarding the level of crime and this letter may indicate the level of punishment assigned to the…