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Sunday, April 19, 2009

Ind. Courts - Updating "LaPorte deputy prosecutor shot" [Updated]

Updating five earlier ILB entries, the AP is reporting:

A LaPorte County grand jury has been impaneled to investigate the December shooting of a judge who was slightly injured days before taking the bench.

St. Joseph County Prosecutor Michael Dvorak announced Saturday that the grand jury will look into the shooting of Jennifer Evans, who was elected a LaPorte Superior Court judge in November.

Evans, a former LaPorte County deputy prosecutor, was grazed in the head by a bullet while in her home on Dec. 22. She was not seriously injured and took the bench in early January.

[Updated at 12:30 PM] Here is comprehensive coverage from Joseph Malan of the Michigan City News-Dispatch:
MICHIGAN CITY - La Porte Circuit Court will investigate the Dec. 22 shooting incident that wounded La Porte Superior Court 3 Judge Jennifer Evans.

Saturday's press release from the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office states Michael Dvorak, St. Joseph Circuit Court prosecuting attorney, has requested La Porte Circuit Court investigate the matter, that "the La Porte Circuit Court convene the Grand Jury for investigation of certain criminal cases."

Late on Dec. 23, the La Porte Fire Department and La Porte County Emergency Medical Service arrived at Evans' home, 18 Victoria Circle in La Porte, in response to a call stating a female, who turned out to be Evans, suffered a gunshot wound to the head.

Since then, it had not been determined by prosecutors whether Evans accidentally shot herself or otherwise. Evans' husband, Stephan Koethe, told local news media Dec. 23 Evans accidentally shot herself when handling a gun she didn't think was loaded.

On Dec. 29, La Porte County Prosecutor Rob Beckman stepped aside and the case was transferred to St. Joseph County. Beckman stated the reason was Evans worked for him as deputy prosecutor until she was sworn in as Superior Court 3 judge Dec. 31.

Following Evans' election to the court, Walter Chapala, special judge in La Porte Superior Court 2, ordered Evans and Koethe on Jan. 27 to remove all firearms from their home and refrain from drinking alcohol while Koethe's two children are at home. According to a transcript of Koethe's 911 call, the children were home when Evans was shot.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on April 19, 2009 09:06 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts