After spending more than three decades in prison, Kofi Modibo Ajabu believed he had exhausted all legal avenues to reduce his 240-year sentence. Ajabu was a college student when he was convicted along with two other men in the March 1994 stabbing deaths of two Indiana teenagers and one of their friends in what prosecutors […]
Criminal Justice
Posted inCourts, Politics & Policy
Appointed Judges Leave Black Indiana Voters Without Representation
When Gary and Lake County residents went to the polls this year, they had no voice in one of the most consequential areas of local government: electing the judges who decide on criminal justice, family disputes, and community life. This lack of representation is not an anomaly; it is the result of a decades-old system […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics & Policy
How the Freedom to Vote Act Could Add 50,000 Black Voters in Indiana
Raymond Powell, a Gary native now living in Indianapolis, wasn’t sure of his voting status after his release from prison. So when he visited the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to update his address, he was taken aback by a simple question from the clerk: “Are you a registered voter?” “They asked if I was a […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local Government
Former Gary Mayor Jerome Prince Agrees to Release Conditions in Wire Fraud Case
The conditions of former Gary Mayor Jerome Prince’s release were set this week after he pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges for misusing campaign funds. Prince will be required to turn over his passport and will be restricted to travel within the continental United States. He posted an unsecured bond of $20,000 and will […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local Government
Former Gary Mayor Jerome Prince to Plead Guilty to Misuse of Campaign Funds
Former Gary Mayor Jerome Prince has acknowledged in court documents that he defrauded donors by using campaign funds for his personal expenses, including the purchase of a private residence. Court records filed Oct. 9 in U.S. District Court detail a scheme in which Prince misappropriated roughly $26,750 from his mayoral campaign between 2019 and 2020. […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Public Safety
‘Enough Is Enough’: Gary Leaders and Family Call for Action After Mother of Six Is Killed by a Stray Bullet
Charlotte Tidwell spoke softly, clutching a tissue as she recounted her daughter’s final moments. “My daughter turned that corner on Grant Street and made a left to head to Portage so she could go home and cook. She didn’t make it back,” she whispered. Tidwell was surrounded by family members and friends who gathered at […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Public Safety
Kidnapping at Michael Jackson’s Childhood Home Alarms Neighbors, Provokes Spirited Response From Gary Officials
A Gary man is in custody after being charged with multiple felonies related to the alleged kidnapping of a 16-year-old girl and her father as they visited the childhood home of Michael Jackson. “It’s a crazy feeling because nothing like that has happened in this area,” said Lathaniel Staten, who has lived on the block […]
Posted inCourts, Education
For Gary Kids Struggling with Truancy, This Program Offers a Lifeline
Melanie Brown will never forget appearing in court for the first time. It was 2017, she was in the throes of a depressive episode, and had been summoned to appear on the grounds of “parental neglect and child abuse.” The charge didn’t make sense to her. “I’m thinking, I’m not abusive … I’m just depressed.” […]
Posted inCourts, Partner Content, Politics & Policy
Hammond Sues State Over ‘Lesser Voting Rights’ for Lake County Residents
This story was originally published by The Indiana Citizen. In its fight to let Lake County voters directly elect their superior court judges, the city of Hammond has turned to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to challenge the retention process and is citing the federal district court judge’s own observation that judicial elections […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Gary Sees Hope: Homicides Drop as Community Bands Together
This story was published in partnership with The Trace. Michelle Pratchet can’t remember the last time she heard gunshots. The newfound quiet is a welcome change for the 54-year-old, who was born and raised in Gary, a city often stigmatized for its history of violence. “I just look at it like this: Wherever you live, […]