Plaxico has company! LaPorte deputy prosecutor shot self by accident

[Panama]

GUN SAFETY-GUN SAFETY-GUN SAFETY-GUN SAFETY-GUN SAFETY
You just can't say it enough!

LaPorte deputy prosecutor shot self by accident

A LaPorte County deputy prosecutor who was elected as a judge last month accidentally shot herself while handling a gun she didn’t think was loaded, her husband said.

Jennifer Evans, 34, was grazed in the head by the shot late Monday at her home, her husband, Stephan, told WNDU-TV on Wednesday. She remained hospitalized, but was expected to return home soon, he said.

LaPorte city police referred all questions about the shooting to county Prosecutor Rob Beckman. A message seeking comment was left today at Beckman’s office by The Associated Press.

On Tuesday, Beckman would only disclose that Evans had been shot and that her injuries were not life-threatening. He declined to give any additional details.

 

[Coach]

Oh My! Shot herself in the head. Oh My! How about charges of stupid? 34 elected judge and not smart enough to keep from shooting herself in the head. How can she be qualified to judge others?

 

[ATF Consumer]

Stupid people with no regard to gun safety is what is scary. She didn't think it was loaded...so rather than treat the firearm as any responsible gun owner would, she decided to gamble and the result was from her own negligence...no accident about it.

 

[haldir]

So she didn't think it was loaded... so what is the thought process at that point. Gee, my gun is empty, I think I will point it at my head and dry fire it. I never understand some of these accidental shootings.

 

[dburkhead]

So she didn't think it was loaded... so what is the thought process at that point. Gee, my gun is empty, I think I will point it at my head and dry fire it. I never understand some of these accidental shootings.

Perhaps this is a bit blunt, but was it actually an accident?

 

[txgho1911]

Judge that for yourself. She was elected. Is she blonde?

 

[Drail]

It's OK! It's not loaded! Translation : Let's be really stupid.

 

[jsgolfman]

Where was the discharge? In her home? In public? Is there an ordinance against discharge of a firearm within city limits?

 

[seamus]

Sometimes attorneys encourage attorneys of lesser ability to run for Judge so they can get them out of their firms.

 

[Panama]

Perhaps this is a bit blunt, but was it actually an accident?

You were not alone in that line of thinking.

 

[Bill of Rights]

Interestingly, my local paper does not describe this as "self-inflicted".

LAPORTE, Ind. (AP) - A northern Indiana deputy prosecutor who was recently elected as a judge was hospitalized after being shot.


LaPorte County Prosecutor Rob Beckman says 34-year-old Jennifer Evans' injury was not life threatening and she is expected to fully recover.
Beckman declined to comment further on the shooting, saying that the investigation was ongoing.
Neighbors say police and other emergency personnel arrived at the LaPorte home Evans shares with her husband about 11:45 p.m. Monday.
Evans was elected in November as a LaPorte Superior Court Judge.

Wonder why not?

 

[kludge]

Question:

Would you ever have a gun, loaded or not, pointed at the genereal direction of YOUR OWN HEAD?!?!?!?!?

 

[MrsGungho]

WNDU has changed their mind on what they are saying in todays paper.

An associated press report citing our conversation with Jennifer Evans' husband Stephan indicated that she had shot herself. We have not reported that; Stephan would not confirm who shot the gun. WNDU has received no comment on that matter from law enforcement officials or the prosecutor’s office, either

 

[kludge]

wow

 

[9mm Luger]

Update

Judge Jennifer Evans-Koethe has finally put a night of drinking that left her with a minor gunshot wound and facing allegations of misconduct behind her.

The Indiana Supreme Court accepted the proposed terms of punishment that Evans-Koethe had reached with the state commission charged with investigating her, according to the Supreme Court decision.

According to court documents, the agreement calls for Evans-Koethe to be suspended without pay for 60 days, seek treatment for personal problems and recuse herself from cases where certain witnesses will appear.


The suspension will begin Friday. When it ends, Evans-Koethe will be able to take the bench of La Porte County Superior Court 3.

According to the documents, Evans-Koethe’s saga began in December 2008 shortly before she was sworn in. After a night of drinking, she suffered a minor gunshot wound that she said was self-inflicted.

She said that after arguing with her husband, Stephan Koethe, she brought out a gun to make him think she was contemplating suicide. She thought the gun was unloaded and accidentally shot herself.

She was taken to the hospital and when a La Porte County Sheriff’s Department sergeant came to take photos of her injury, she told him that she had written a note to her husband and asked the sergeant to get rid of it in order to avoid embarrassment. According to the Supreme Court decision, she said she did not think it was relevant evidence.

A La Porte County grand jury indicted her in May 2009 for attempted obstruction of justice, a Class D felony. Shortly thereafter, in May, she was suspended from the bench with pay and has remained so until today.

A jury acquitted her of the criminal charges in January 2010, but the Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications had already filed charges against her, alleging that she had interfered with a police investigation.

The Supreme Court document said Evans-Koethe and the investigating commission have agreed that by asking the officer to throw out the note, she engaged in improper conduct for a judge.

The two parties in the conflict also noted several mitigating factors: She had suffered head trauma that might have affected her judgement; she had cooperated with the commission’s investigation; she was remorseful; and she has taken steps to address the personal problems.

When reached for comment, Evans-Koethe said she would be releasing a statement in the next few days.

For one year after Evans-Koethe begins hearing cases again, she will have to recuse herself from cases in which Captain Clyde Crass and Sgt. Paul Brettin of the La Porte City Police Department and Sgt. Patrick Cicero of the La Porte County Sheriff’s Department appear as a party or a witness.

Basically she gets away with it! Unbelievable!

 

[Tripp11]

Alcohol Intoxication + Guns = Stupid...in my opinion.

 

[bigiron]

this proves my case that some people should just not exist. this is how we sort out the stupid. IMHO of course.

 

[Hornett]

She had suffered head trauma that might have affected her judgement;

She displayed poor judgment aay before the head trauma.

 

[Que]

Title of post should be: Plaxico breaks law, jail; Judge breaks law, but not really, so let's give her a break this time, because we're sure she won't do it again. Wow, justice at work.

 

[JetGirl]

Is she blonde?

HEY!