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Saturday, March 18, 2006

Ind. Courts - Judge threatens taping defendant's mouth with duct tape

"Judge may invoke literal 'gag rule'" is the headline to a story today in the Evansville Courier& Press by Mark Wilson. Some quotes:

A defendant's tirade in a Warrick County courtroom Friday prompted the judge to warn that his mouth may be taped closed during his next court appearance.

Sheriff's deputies led Aaron J. Vaughn out of the courtroom after the inmate launched into an obscenity-strewn rant directed at Superior Court Judge Robert Aylsworth during an otherwise routine court appearance at which a public defender was appointed to represent Vaughn. * * *

Afterwards, Aylsworth asked that the record reflect that Vaughn's mouth would be taped closed for his April 7 court appearance.

"His mouth may be taped if that is what it takes to keep him quiet. He will be quiet one way or another," he said. "I think Mr. Vaughn has other issues besides criminal." * * *

Police in Evansville and Warrick County suspect Vaughn, 31, is the thief they nicknamed the "Backdoor Burglar" who entered homes through unlocked back doors at night and took valuables left in sight. * * *

Vaughn was arrested Sept. 23 after a team of officers planted dyed money and purses in several homes of the Colonial Hills subdivision in Newburgh, where they had tracked Vaughn using a global positioning satellite (GPS) tracking device and then waited for him to take the bait.

However, in a court ruling last week Warrick Circuit Court Judge David Kelley threw out evidence gathered as a result of using the GPS.

The GPS device allowed Evansville police to track Vaughn's location with satellite technology. After Vaughn was arrested, Evansville police applied to Vanderburgh Superior Court Judge Robert Pigman for warrants to search Vaughn's car and motel room but according to Kelley's decision they didn't notify Pigman that they had been tracking Vaughn by GPS.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on March 18, 2006 10:39 AM
Posted to Ind. Trial Ct. Decisions