Governor signs bill that holds habitual offenders fully accountable for out-of-state crimes

INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana Prosecutors applauded the signing today by Governor Eric Holcomb of HB 1033, a bill that allows courts to consider the full weight of out of state convictions for murder and other high level felonies in sentencing for habitual offenders.

The bill was sponsored in the Indiana House by Reps. Thomas Washburne and Ryan Dvorak. Senate sponsors were Sens. Eric Koch and Joseph Zakas.

Indiana prosecuting attorneys from Hancock, Washington and Hendricks County participated in Governor Eric Holcomb's signing of HB 1033 on April 23. The bill holds habitual offenders fully accountable for their out of state criminal history. Front row, from left, are, bill author Rep. Thomas Washburne, Gov. Holcomb, and Senate sponsor Sen. Eric Koch. Back row, from left, are: Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council Assistant Executive Director Chris Naylor, Hancock County Prosecutor Brent Eaton, Washington County Prosecutor Dustin Houchin and Hendricks County Prosecutor Patricia Baldwin. (Photo courtesy of Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council) 

Hancock County Prosecutor Brent Eaton said, “I am grateful that IPAC could work with the General Assembly and Governor Holcomb to enact this change in the law which will help prosecutors around the State of Indiana hold repeat felony offenders accountable. This change will help prosecutors to keep our communities safe by giving us a tool we can use to seek enhanced sentences when we encounter defendants whose criminal history extends outside of Indiana.”

Hendricks County Prosecutor Patricia Baldwin thanked Governor Holcomb for his support, as well as the bill’s House authors and Senate sponsors, and said, “This bill makes clear when we can use prior convictions for murder and other violent offenses to appropriately sentence repeat offenders when their prior criminal activity was out of state.”