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> Jennifer Evans found "not guilty" in her case
Dave
post Jan 28 2009, 03:19 PM
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QUOTE
Evans, 34, a former deputy prosecutor, declined to comment after the ceremony about the Dec. 22 incident in which she was grazed in the head by a gunshot.

Evans did not appear to have any physical mark from the wound.


I've been wondering how this can be. I suppose wearing a wig would cover it up?
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Homey
post Jan 28 2009, 03:34 PM
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I wonder what kind of press I would get if this happened in my home? Do we get to circumvent what is released to the press?


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Roger Kaputnik
post Jan 28 2009, 04:23 PM
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QUOTE(Dave @ Jan 28 2009, 03:19 PM) *


I've been wondering how this can be. I suppose wearing a wig would cover it up?


I wondered, too. The only thing I could think of was that she was getting a .38 Special noogie and the injury is on the back of her noggin.


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Ang
post Jan 28 2009, 04:27 PM
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They probably didn't shave hair to do the stitches. If so, then her hair would cover up any injuries. I'm sure she had a hair dresser do her coif to hide any injuries.


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Southsider2k12
post Jan 29 2009, 01:18 PM
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http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=52370.68

QUOTE
St. Joe still investigating Evans shooting

Laurie Wink
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - The shooting incident that wounded La Porte Superior Court Judge 3 Jennifer Evans late Dec. 22 is still under active investigation by the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office.

La Porte County Prosecutor Robert Beckman said he made the decision Dec. 24 to turn the investigation over to St. Joseph County Prosecutor Michael Dvorak, but couldn't file the petition until Dec. 29 because of holiday closings. Evans was a deputy prosecutor in Beckman's office at the time of the incident, and had been in the position for about 10 years. She was sworn in as Superior Court judge on Dec. 31.

Once the investigation is completed, Dvorak will review the evidence and determine whether or not charges will be filed, according to Catherine Wilson, director of special projects and media relations for the St. Joseph County prosecutor.

A date for the announcement cannot be determined, Wilson said on Wednesday.

"We want to make sure to get it investigated properly and thoroughly," she said.
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Southsider2k12
post Jan 29 2009, 01:20 PM
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http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...ArticleID=20645

QUOTE
Judge Evans
Full disclosure needed

Editorial

A court order made public Tuesday provides further evidence that authorities must release all the details about the incident in which Superior Court 3 Judge Jennifer Evans was wounded Dec. 22 at her house in La Porte.

The court order forbids Judge Evans and her husband, Stephan Koethe, from having firearms in their home or consuming alcohol before or during visits to the home by Koethe's two children. Evidence and testimony in the hearing that led to the judge's order is not available, but it's no great leap of logic to imagine that alcohol was involved.

If both alcohol use and the handling of firearms took place that night, while two children were present, that raises serious questions about the judgment of Judge Evans.

Unfortunately, the full details of what took place have been suppressed by authorities, and again it's no great leap of logic to imagine that the network of friends and colleagues in law enforcement closed ranks to protect Evans, who was a deputy prosecutor at the time of the incident. La Porte police were hesitant at first to release any information about the shooting, referring all inquiries to Prosecutor Rob Beckman, her boss.

Of course, Beckman had no business overseeing an investigation involving one of his deputy prosecutors, and after a week he yielded and the matter was assigned to the St. Joseph County prosecutor's office, which says the investigation isn't complete.

Evans has had no comment on the incident.

In the meantime, Evans was sworn in as judge, a position to which she was elected in November, to sit in judgment of others, including cases involving firearms, alcohol and the custody of children of divorced parents.

Authorities should never cover up matters of public interest - and this certainly is of public interest, with a public official involved. All the details should be disclosed.

Our Opinion:
The Issue:

Custody hearing results in order banning firearms, alcohol.

Our Opinion:

Authorities have covered up details of this investigation. Full disclosure is a must.
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Southsider2k12
post Apr 22 2009, 01:32 PM
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http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=55872.07

QUOTE
Judges: Grand jury summons 'an oddity'

Laurie Wink
The News-Dispatch

LA PORTE - The grand jury investigation of the shooting incident involving La Porte County Superior Court 3 Judge Jennifer (Evans) Koethe is a rare legal approach, according to area judges.

Circuit Court Judge Tom Alevizos said a grand jury investigation is "an oddity" in La Porte County. In the 20 years he's practiced law in the county, he said, the only grand jury investigation was in May 1998 regarding the murder of Rayna Rison, a 16-year-old who was abducted after leaving her job at a local veterinary clinic on March 26, 1993. Her body was found a month later in a rural Springfield Township pond.

Alevizos has summoned a six-member grand jury to hear evidence in the investigation of the Evans case. The grand jury hearing will be conducted in a courtroom in the La Porte County Courthouse by Michael Dvorak, prosecuting attorney for St. Joseph County, who requested Alevizos to convene the grand jury. No judge is present during the grand jury proceedings.

Alevizos said his role is limited to selecting jurors and receiving the jury's final report. He said grand jury members are selected at random from the same pool of potential jurors used for jury trials.

Jeffrey Thode, Porter County Superior Court 6 judge, agrees with Alevizos that a grand jury investigation is a rare thing at the county level. Thode is a member of the community relations committee of the Indiana Judicial Center.

"I have never empowered a grand jury," he said. "Almost always, the prosecutor issues charging information." With a charging information, or affidavit, a charge is filed in court at the discretion of the prosecuting attorney.

Thode said a grand jury takes the prosecutor out of the responsibility to make a decision whether there is probable cause to indict any of the parties involved. But the prosecutor controls the evidence presented, Thode said.

"In a nutshell, the grand jury is charged with the responsibility of determining if there's anything to this incident or not," Thode said.

"There's a difference between being charged with and being convicted of a crime," Thode added.

Dvorak will present evidence about the Dec. 22, 2008, shooting of Evans in the home she shares with husband Stephan Koethe. His two young children were in the home when the incident occurred.

Evans, a deputy prosecutor at the time, suffered a graze wound in the head when a gun was discharged. She subsequently was sworn in as Superior Court 3 judge on Dec. 31.

La Porte County Prosecutor Robert Beckman petitioned Superior Court 1 Judge Kathleen Lang to step aside to avoid a conflict of interest, and she turned the investigation over to Dvorak. Evans was a deputy prosecutor in Beckman's office for about 10 years.

According to Catherine Wilson, director of special projects and media relations for the St. Joseph Prosecuting Attorney's Office, grand jury proceedings are sealed and unauthorized disclosure of proceedings is a Class B misdemeanor.

The names of persons subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury are not made public, either, according to law.

Contact Laurie Wink at lwink@thenewsdispatch.com.
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Southsider2k12
post Apr 23 2009, 11:10 AM
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http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...ArticleID=22672

QUOTE
Grand jury
Unusual step taken in case

Editorial

The various authorities who have handled the shooting that grazed the scalp of La Porte Superior Court 3 Judge Jennifer (Evans) Koethe could not have made it more obvious that they wanted to protect her from the public learning exactly what happened that night in her home.

First, La Porte police said very little, and referred inquiries to the La Porte County Prosecutor's Office. The La Porte Herald-Argus pressed for and obtained the release of documents and information that rightly should be made public, including the 911 call from her La Porte house that night of Dec. 22.

Then Prosecutor Rob Beckman, who never should have been handling the case since Evans (a judge-elect) was a deputy prosecutor in his office, stepped aside. The handling of the investigation was then transferred to St. Joseph County Prosecutor Michael Dvorak in South Bend, who until last Saturday had released no information on the investigation in nearly 3 1/2 months.

Now Dvorak is not going to release any details of the investigation, and is instead going to turn the evidence over to a grand jury, a highly unusual move. Normally prosecutors decide for themselves if they have grounds to file a criminal charge, instead of leaving it to a panel of citizens.

Usually grand juries are considered to be easily persuaded, hence the old saying that a prosecutor could get a grand jury to "indict a ham sandwich."

Letting the grand jury make the "official" call gives the prosecutor cover, in case no one in the legal community wants to take responsibility for bringing a charge in a matter so close to one of their own.

On the other hand, since grand jury proceedings are secret and participants are forbidden from disclosing the nature or substance of grand jury testimony, if no charge is brought by the grand jury, Judge Koethe's friends may have succeeded in permanently wrapping the details in secrecy.

Our Opinion:
The Issue:

Details of the shooting that left Jennifer (Evans) Koethe wounded have been withheld.

Our Opinion:

Presenting the case to a grand jury might keep details secret forever.
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Ang
post Apr 23 2009, 11:18 AM
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Hmmm....
Sounds like they're taking a lesson from MCAS


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Dave
post Apr 23 2009, 01:18 PM
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I'm thinking the way the only way the facts behind this event are going to come to light is though action by the former Mrs. Koethe in court regarding child custody / visitation agreement modification.

I'm also thinking Mr. Bergerson these days is kicking himself for running against Judge Lang instead of going for Court 3 himself, but I digress...
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Dave
post May 8 2009, 12:35 PM
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Well, this could be a game changer...

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...ArticleID=23062

QUOTE

Judge Koethe indicted
Superior Court 3 judge accused of attempted obstruction of justice

Laurie Wink
The News-Dispatch

Friday, May 08, 2009


LA PORTE - A grand jury on Thursday indicted La Porte Superior Court 3 Judge Jennifer (Evans) Koethe on a charge of attempted obstruction of justice.

The charge resulted from the investigation into a shooting in her house that left her with a graze wound on the head nine days before she was sworn into office.

The grand jury also indicted her husband, Stephan Koethe, on charges of false informing and criminal recklessness in the Dec. 22 shooting.

His indictment indicates he and his wife were intoxicated at the time of the shooting.

The charge against the judge is a class D felony, while the charges against her husband are less serious misdemeanors. He is charged with class A misdemeanor false informing and class B misdemeanor criminal recklessness.

Following the indictments, which were filed in the county clerk's office, warrants were issued for the Koethes, with bond set at $600 cash for her and $500 cash for him, according to a statement issued by Catherine Wilson on behalf of the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office, which handled the case.

The Indiana Supreme Court on Thursday appointed Lake County Superior Court 4 Judge Thomas P. Stefaniak Jr. to serve as a special judge for the case involving Jennifer Koethe, according to Kathryn Dolan, public information officer for the Supreme Court.

Dolan said the court has the authority, in the case of a felony charge, to suspend the judge without pay, but no decision has been made on that matter.

Neither Jennifer nor Stephan Koethe answered phone messages or came to the door of their residence at 18 Victoria Circle, La Porte, on Thursday.

The indictment of Jennifer Koethe states on Dec. 23, the day after the shooting, she requested the disposal of a handwritten note that was evidence in an official investigation. Her action, the indictment said, "constituted a substantial step toward the commission of the crime of obstruction of justice."

The indictment didn't say who wrote the note or what it said, and did not identify the person asked to destroy it. The St. Joseph County Prosecuting Attorney's office didn't release any details, saying the records of a grand jury investigation are sealed.

The indictment of Stephan Koethe for false informing stated he knowingly provided a false description of the Dec. 22 events to La Porte city police, hindering the law-enforcement process. The indictment for criminal recklessness said he handled and loaded a firearm "while intoxicated, and during an argument with another intoxicated person." The reckless act "created a substantial risk of bodily injury to another person," the indictment stated.

The judge and her husband were the only adults present in the home at the time of the incident, according to the recording of Stephan Koethe's call to 911. Koethe's two children from a previous marriage were in another room at the time. Jennifer Koethe was taken to La Porte Hospital for treatment of the gunshot wound and was released after a brief stay.

Koethe was sworn in as Superior Court 3 judge on Dec. 31. Before her November election, she was a La Porte County deputy prosecutor for 10 years and went by the name Jennifer Evans.

To avoid a conflict of interest, La Porte County Prosecutor Robert Beckman stepped aside and the investigation was turned over to St. Joseph County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Dvorak.

The grand jury indictment of Judge Koethe was returned in La Porte Circuit Court, where Judge Tom Alevizos presides. Alevizos was responsible for selecting and convening the grand jury.

The indictments of Stephan Koethe were received in La Porte Superior Court 3, where Judge Koethe presides. The court clerk explained misdemeanors are filed in Superior Court 3.

The St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office said it will issue more information when court dates have been set, and advised in a press release an indictment is "merely an accusation."

q

Contact Laurie Wink at lwink@thenewsdispatch.com.





This post has been edited by Dave: May 8 2009, 12:37 PM
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Ang
post May 8 2009, 12:48 PM
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Hm.


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lighter
post May 8 2009, 02:20 PM
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http://www.nwi.com/articles/2009/05/08/upd...75738053169.txt

Indiana Supreme Court suspends indicted LaPorte judge

INDIANAPOLIS | The Indiana Supreme Court has suspended with pay a LaPorte Superior Court judge indicted on a charge of attempting to obstruct justice.

Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathryn Dolan says the high court suspended Judge Jennifer Evans Koethe on Friday. She was indicted Thursday by a grand jury on a charge of attempting to obstruct justice. She is accused of requesting that a handwritten note that was evidence be disposed of after she was grazed in the head by a gunshot in her home in December.

If convicted of the felony, she faces six months to three years in prison.

Senior Judge Paul Baldoni, whom she succeeded on Jan. 1, has been named to fill in during her suspension.

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Ang
post May 8 2009, 03:01 PM
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Thanks for the update Lighter, and welcome to the board!


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eric.hanke
post May 9 2009, 10:32 AM
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QUOTE
Evans Koethe Suspended

Laurie Wink

The News-Dispatch

LA PORTE - The Indiana Supreme Court suspended with pay La Porte Superior Court 3 Judge Jennifer Evans Koethe and named former Superior Court 3 Judge Paul Baldoni as temporary judge.

Friday's decision came at the request of the Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications following the grand-jury indictment of Evans Koethe, 34, on a class D felony charge of obstruction of justice. The judge's suspension is effective May 11 and will continue indefinitely. The announcement was made by Kathryn Dolan, Indiana Supreme Court public-information officer.

Warrants were issued for Evans Koethe and her husband, Stephan, on Thursday. At 10 a.m. Friday, they were individually booked into La Porte County Jail, photographed, fingerprinted and given an opportunity to post bond, said Maj. Gary Broling, La Porte County Sheriff's Department public-information officer.

Broling said Evans Koethe posted $5,005 surety bond and a $605 cash bond. Stephan Koethe posted a $7,000 surety bond and $500 cash bond. The indictment of Evans Koethe charges her with asking on Dec. 23 for a handwritten note to be destroyed, a note that was evidence in an official investigation of a shooting in her home Dec. 22, 2008. The action is seen as an attempt to obstruct justice.

Stephan Koethe was indicted for two misdemeanors: class A misdemeanor false informing and class B misdemeanor criminal recklessness. The false-informing charge was for knowingly providing a false description of the Dec. 22 events to La Porte police, hindering the law-enforcement process. The criminal recklessness charge was for handling a loaded firearm while intoxicated during an argument with another intoxicated person. The indictment stated that action created the risk of bodily injury to another person.

After the Dec. 22 shooting at about 11:30 p.m., Evans Koethe was taken to La Porte Hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound, described as a grazing wound near the forehead. She was released after a brief stay and had no visible signs of the injury during the Dec. 31 ceremony, at which she was sworn in as Superior Court 3 judge. She was elected to the position in the November election and served just more than four months before her ouster from the bench Friday.



She should of been suspended without pay.



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Dave
post May 9 2009, 09:00 PM
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QUOTE(eric.hanke @ May 9 2009, 11:32 AM) *
She should of been suspended without pay.


I guess I may not be the only person who thinks "suspended with pay" sounds a lot like "paid vacation."
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Homey
post May 9 2009, 09:25 PM
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Only for the chosen few. It takes connections!


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Ang
post May 10 2009, 01:05 AM
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And a seat on the bench is about as connected as you can get.


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kharris
post May 10 2009, 07:01 AM
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QUOTE(Dave @ May 9 2009, 10:00 PM) *

I guess I may not be the only person who thinks "suspended with pay" sounds a lot like "paid vacation."

Unfortunately, it is state law that mandates the suspension with pay. It would be the same for a police officer being charged with a felony. Not saying it's right .. just saying what it is.
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Southsider2k12
post May 14 2009, 07:58 AM
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http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=36079.31

QUOTE


The Issue:

Judge Evans Koeth was suspended by the Supreme Court.

Our Opinion:

She deserves a chance to clear her name, but the court's reputation must be secured now.
Judge must resign
Suspension follows indictment

Editorial

La Porte Superior Court 3 Judge Jennifer Evans Koethe has been indicted, and now she has been suspended from her position as a judge by the Indiana Supreme Court. Now it is time for her to resign the judgeship.

Yes, an indictment is merely an allegation, and she is presumed innocent until after a trial. She deserves a chance to clear her name in court.

But whatever the outcome of the charge against her, which is attempting to obstruct justice, it will be very hard for her to remain as the officeholder in Superior Court 3.

Aside from the class D felony for which she was indicted, the events that led to her suspension from the bench Friday paint a picture of someone who should not be in that position.

While Koethe was the victim of a gunshot - the circumstances neither she nor her husband, Stephan, have explained publicly - evidence indicates that she and her husband were intoxicated and doing something with a gun in their house late in the evening of Dec. 22 while his two minor children were present, in their own bedroom. That anyone would bring out a gun, after drinking, with children in the home, shows a lack of judgment not befitting a judge.

The fact that she has chosen not to discuss the matter public is telling, too. The entire handling of the incident by the authorities has suggested that they closed ranks to protect this former deputy prosecutor, who was elected in November and sworn in Dec. 31. When authorities go to that length, it only increases the cloud of suspicion over everyone involved. That cloud should not extend to a Superior Court of La Porte County, and the surest way to quickly restore public confidence in this local court is for Jennifer Koethe to step aside, focus on her defense, and let someone else take charge.
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