News Release
NEWS RELEASE
Release: Immediate
October 28, 2005
Lebanon, Boone County, Indiana – Prosecuting Attorney Todd Meyer announced today during a press conference that a grand jury will be convened as a part of the ongoing investigation into the fire that destroyed the Bar None Dance Hall on August 19, 2005.
Meyer stated that as a part of this ongoing investigation the prosecutor’s office requested that Judge Matt Kincaid, Judge of Boone Superior Court I, convene the grand jury. The grand jury will convene on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 to begin hearing evidence in this investigation. Although at the present time no end date is cited for the grand jury, without an extension, the grand jury summonsed for the 4th quarter term would conclude its service on December 31, 2005.
As a matter of public record the Prosecutor’s Office announced that at the present time target subpoenas have been issued to two individuals. Target subpoenas are issued in grand jury proceedings to those persons suspected of criminal wrongdoing. One of the individuals served with a target subpoena is that of John Dixon who was previously charged in this case. In addition to these target subpoenas numerous other subpoenas have been issued to persons believed to have information relevant to this investigation, including that of the building’s owner and maintenance manager along with that of Dixon’s girlfriend, Delisa Draper, who was previously charged with a count of aiding a criminal, said charge stemming from her involvement with Dixon shortly after the fire.
In discussing the investigation that has been ongoing since the date of the fire, Meyer stated: “The Prosecutor’s Office has many resources available to it in its efforts to thoroughly investigate criminal cases, and one of those available resources is that of the grand jury.” “It is not often that the grand jury is summonsed into service, however, the resource of the grand jury seems to lend itself well in this situation given all of the circumstances involved in this investigation,” said Meyer who could not elaborate on the details of the grand jury’s upcoming proceedings. Meyer noted “due to the rules of grand jury proceedings it is not possible for me, or anyone else for that matter, to discuss details of the proceedings; however, at the conclusion of the grand jury’s service in this case I intend to provide a full report as to its results.” Prosecutor Meyer went on to state “this subject of disclosure prompts me to say - while I would like to share with the people I represent all of the information my office is privy to, I simply cannot do so on account of both ethical and legal grounds, to say nothing of potentially jeopardizing the outcome of a case, or the safety of members of the public or law enforcement. I know people want to hear the reasons behind the decisions that are made, and
as badly as I would like to provide them, particularly in the face of undeserved criticism, I have an obligation to uphold the law and the code of professional ethical conduct imposed upon prosecutors. Suffice it to say, each and every decision that is made by this prosecutor’s office is made with the people of Boone County’s best interests in mind after full consideration of such issues like that of -first and foremost- the public’s safety, the decision’s fiscal impact on the tax payers, the privacy rights of all citizens and an understanding and appreciation of what’s fundamentally and common sensically right and wrong based upon the values instilled in me by my family, friends, colleagues and neighbors, all derived through my upbringing in this community.”
Meyer closed his remarks by stating “the prosecutor’s office and the multi agency team investigating this case have an obligation to see that justice is obtained in a fair manner. This obligation is larger than simply making arrests and obtaining convictions. I am continually guided by the wisdom of former Justice White of the United States Supreme Court who stated:
Law enforcement officers have the obligation to convict the guilty and to make sure they do not convict the innocent. They must be dedicated to making the criminal trial a procedure for ascertainment of the true facts surrounding the commission of the crime. To this extent, our so-called adversary system is not adversary at all; nor should it be. It is within this complicated framework of competing and conflicting interests that prosecutors must successfully discharge their duties.
It is incumbent upon the prosecutor’s office and the police to insure that those arrested and convicted are truly guilty of the crimes they are alleged to have committed. It is also incumbent upon the prosecutor’s office and the police to insure that all persons responsible for having committed these crimes are held accountable. That is precisely what I set out to do each and every day that I go to work and it’s exactly what I intend to do in this case – insure that justice is done for the people of Boone County. And starting next week, when seated as grand jurors in this investigation, six other people in this community will be entrusted to assist me in this endeavor.
Release: Immediate
October 28, 2005
Lebanon, Boone County, Indiana – Prosecuting Attorney Todd Meyer announced today during a press conference that a grand jury will be convened as a part of the ongoing investigation into the fire that destroyed the Bar None Dance Hall on August 19, 2005.
Meyer stated that as a part of this ongoing investigation the prosecutor’s office requested that Judge Matt Kincaid, Judge of Boone Superior Court I, convene the grand jury. The grand jury will convene on Tuesday, November 1, 2005 to begin hearing evidence in this investigation. Although at the present time no end date is cited for the grand jury, without an extension, the grand jury summonsed for the 4th quarter term would conclude its service on December 31, 2005.
As a matter of public record the Prosecutor’s Office announced that at the present time target subpoenas have been issued to two individuals. Target subpoenas are issued in grand jury proceedings to those persons suspected of criminal wrongdoing. One of the individuals served with a target subpoena is that of John Dixon who was previously charged in this case. In addition to these target subpoenas numerous other subpoenas have been issued to persons believed to have information relevant to this investigation, including that of the building’s owner and maintenance manager along with that of Dixon’s girlfriend, Delisa Draper, who was previously charged with a count of aiding a criminal, said charge stemming from her involvement with Dixon shortly after the fire.
In discussing the investigation that has been ongoing since the date of the fire, Meyer stated: “The Prosecutor’s Office has many resources available to it in its efforts to thoroughly investigate criminal cases, and one of those available resources is that of the grand jury.” “It is not often that the grand jury is summonsed into service, however, the resource of the grand jury seems to lend itself well in this situation given all of the circumstances involved in this investigation,” said Meyer who could not elaborate on the details of the grand jury’s upcoming proceedings. Meyer noted “due to the rules of grand jury proceedings it is not possible for me, or anyone else for that matter, to discuss details of the proceedings; however, at the conclusion of the grand jury’s service in this case I intend to provide a full report as to its results.” Prosecutor Meyer went on to state “this subject of disclosure prompts me to say - while I would like to share with the people I represent all of the information my office is privy to, I simply cannot do so on account of both ethical and legal grounds, to say nothing of potentially jeopardizing the outcome of a case, or the safety of members of the public or law enforcement. I know people want to hear the reasons behind the decisions that are made, and
as badly as I would like to provide them, particularly in the face of undeserved criticism, I have an obligation to uphold the law and the code of professional ethical conduct imposed upon prosecutors. Suffice it to say, each and every decision that is made by this prosecutor’s office is made with the people of Boone County’s best interests in mind after full consideration of such issues like that of -first and foremost- the public’s safety, the decision’s fiscal impact on the tax payers, the privacy rights of all citizens and an understanding and appreciation of what’s fundamentally and common sensically right and wrong based upon the values instilled in me by my family, friends, colleagues and neighbors, all derived through my upbringing in this community.”
Meyer closed his remarks by stating “the prosecutor’s office and the multi agency team investigating this case have an obligation to see that justice is obtained in a fair manner. This obligation is larger than simply making arrests and obtaining convictions. I am continually guided by the wisdom of former Justice White of the United States Supreme Court who stated:
Law enforcement officers have the obligation to convict the guilty and to make sure they do not convict the innocent. They must be dedicated to making the criminal trial a procedure for ascertainment of the true facts surrounding the commission of the crime. To this extent, our so-called adversary system is not adversary at all; nor should it be. It is within this complicated framework of competing and conflicting interests that prosecutors must successfully discharge their duties.
It is incumbent upon the prosecutor’s office and the police to insure that those arrested and convicted are truly guilty of the crimes they are alleged to have committed. It is also incumbent upon the prosecutor’s office and the police to insure that all persons responsible for having committed these crimes are held accountable. That is precisely what I set out to do each and every day that I go to work and it’s exactly what I intend to do in this case – insure that justice is done for the people of Boone County. And starting next week, when seated as grand jurors in this investigation, six other people in this community will be entrusted to assist me in this endeavor.
posted by Boone County Prosecutors Office @ 2:28 PM
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