Suspect in Austgen killing still looking for defense attorney

CROWN POINT | An Alsip man charged in the death of 76-year-old Mary Austgen remains without a lawyer one month after his arrest.

Dyer man gets 12 years for burning down officer's home

CROWN POINT | A judge sentenced a Dyer man to 12 years of prison and home detention for burning down the home of a Lynwood police officer and her three children.

Man, 74, pleads guilty to lesser battery charge in child molestation case

CROWN POINT | A man suspected of child molestation — who was twice released by Texas authorities before finally facing justice — pleaded guilty to a lesser battery charge Wednesday in Lake County court.

EDITORIAL: Judges shouldn't hesitate to extradite

Enrique Marks Jr. settled the question of whether to extradite him from Brownsville, Texas, by turning himself in to Lake County authorities after four years as a fugitive. The larger question of how to handle similar cases in the future, however, remains unresolved.

Molestation suspect from Texas surrenders

CROWN POINT | After about four years on the run, a Texas man charged with molesting an 11-year-old Highland girl turned himself in to Lake County authorities.

Alleged molester not extradited

HIGHLAND | If some alleged felons run far enough away from Lake County, they don't have to hide, because local authorities will not pursue them.

Choate trial delayed until the fall

CROWN POINT | Lake Criminal Court Judge Diane Boswell is delaying the murder trial of a Hammond man whose son died following a year of neglect, beatings and being locked in a dog cage.

Judge alleges case was improperly steered to his courtroom

CROWN POINT | Questions of unethical behavior swirled Tuesday around the case of a Valparaiso businessman awaiting trial on criminal charges in a fatal 2010 crash.

Questions remain on Choate body's release

CROWN POINT | It remained unclear Tuesday afternoon who will take custody of the body of teenage abuse victim Christian Choate.

Judge frees Christian Choate's body for burial

CROWN POINT | A teenage victim of years of abuse finally may be laid to rest two years after his death.

MARK KIESLING: The accused is protected, but what about the child?

It's great to see a Lake County judge is very concerned about the rights of Riley Choate and Kimberly Kubina, who are charged with murder in the death of Choate's 13-year-old son, Christian.

Prosecutor steps up Choate probe

CROWN POINT | A lawyer representing the sister of 13-year-old Christian Choate is resisting prosecution efforts to question her under oath about her brother's alleged captivity and beating death.

Prosecutor wants DNA from father of Christian Choate

CROWN POINT | The Lake County prosecutor's office wants a DNA sample from the father of 13-year-old Christian Choate, whose body was found last month in a shallow grave.

Illinois man sentenced for '08 Highland gas station robbery

CROWN POINT | Lake Criminal Court Judge Diane Boswell sentenced an Illinois man to 10 years in prison Monday for a 2008 service station holdup.

Officials hope to bring jail bracelets back into fashion

CROWN POINT | Lake County officials will make another attempt to free the county's get-out-of-jail bracelet system from judicial disfavor.

New charge filed against Griffith man in boy's death

CROWN POINT | The Lake County prosecutor's office has added murder to the charges a Griffith man faces in the death of a 3-year-old boy last year.

Former umpire caught off base

LOWELL | A former Lake County police sergeant who embezzled tens of thousands of dollars from youth football and baseball teams is still paying for his crime, just not enough.