TERRE HAUTE —
Judge Betty Barteau practiced law in the state of the Indiana since 1965, a time she said the legal system was not as favorable to women as the present.
Barteau graduated with honors from law school but the legal system treated women as inferior despite possessing similar qualifications as their male peers.
“I have to say the first few years were challenging,” Barteau said addressing nearly 600 young girls attending the 71st annual Hoosier Girls State June 17-23. “Today is a different world.”
Barteau made up one of the three panel judges of the Court of Appeals of Indiana who listened to arguments as part of the Appeals on Wheels program, which took place on Indiana State University campus recently. Appeals on Wheels educates the public by moving court cases to various Indiana venues, including Girls State for the second year.
The panel consisted of Judge Melissa May, Judge John Baker and Barteau. Scott King represented the defendant Donald Huls who sought to appeal conviction on two counts of criminal recklessness and prosecutor Ian McClean represented the state.
“I had never had an experience like this before,” Frankfort High School student Emily Parks said. “I didn’t know that this whole process even existed.”
She learned about it through observing Huls’ appeal on a case that occurred in Valparaiso. Huls returned home late at night from a family vacation when his life intersected with those of four teenagers.
While unloading the family vehicle at the back of the house Huls heard a noise from the wooded area behind his house. In response, he began to yell and eventually began firing his gun into the woods. The four teenagers, walking past the woods to a friend’s house after a graduation party, heard the shots. One of the teenagers yelled, “We’re getting out of here. We’re going. Stop shooting.”
In the trial court, Huls acknowledged hearing someone yelling at him to stop from the woods but continued to shoot before going inside and contacting the authorities. One of Huls’ shots hit a teenager in the right leg before they got away from the area.
A trial court found Huls guilty on two counts of criminal recklessness.
King’s appeal to the court on the behalf of Huls focused on the alleged failure by the trial court to instruct the jury correctly on self-defense and the allegation hat the judge didn’t possess sufficient evidence to deny Huls’ self –defense claim under the Castle Law of Indiana before it was ammended. McClean rebutted King’s argument by stating that the teenage boys were never on Huls’ property so the Castle Law allowing him to use reasonable force does not apply. McClean also said the evidence of the case suggested that Huls’ could not have reasonably believed he was in danger.
The appellate judges will render an opinion at a later date.
Following the hearing the judges stepped down and answered questions from the high school girls attending Hoosier Girls State. Questions ranged from the appeal process judge’s personal experiences in law and advice for someone who wanted to work in courts.
Throughout the week-long Hoosier Girls State program at Indiana State the high school girls learned about the political system and government.
“I was very, very apprehensive about coming here,” Blackford High School student, Ali Confer said. “As time went on I realized I have a role in changing the state, I can do it and it has opened so much more and I respect my country so much more. I feel very patriotic and I am very blessed to be here.”
Schools
Court of Appeals returns to Girls State
- Schools
-
-
BRUCE’S HISTORY LESSONS: Montgomery Meigs establishes Arlington National Cemetery
This week (June 15) in 1864, Brig. Gen. Montgomery C. Meigs, who had been appointed Quartermaster General of the Union Army in 1861, established Arlington House, the former home of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, as a cemetery for the Union’s soldiers. Today Arlington National Cemetery is America’s national military burial ground.
- Vigo County School Corp. High School Honor Roll
- Goals, Pride & Achievements: June 13, 2013
-
BRUCE’S HISTORY LESSONS: This week in 1944: D-Day and the Airborne assault on Normandy
This week (June 5) in 1944, with the D-Day invasion of the Nazi-occupied Normandy coast set to begin, the man in charge of that invasion, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, paid a special visit to members of the U.S. 82nd and the 101st Airborne.
-
Terre Haute North, South African-American clubs taking educational journey to Washington, D.C.
Students and teachers from Terre Haute North and South Vigo high schools saw three years of hard work pay off Monday afternoon as they lined up eagerly at the doors of a school bus to start a long ride to Washington, D.C.
-
BRUCE’S HISTORY LESSONS: A woman’s voice of moral clarity
This week (June 1) in 1950, Margaret Chase Smith, the Republican senator from Maine and the first woman ever to serve as both a U.S. senator and member of the House of Representatives, gave a speech that, looking back, was a voice of moral clarity amidst a cacophony of madness and vilification.
-
Education-technology grants given to Valley
Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz has announced the 2013 Technology Resource Grants, awarded to help organizations purchase technology resources for student instruction in career and technical educations classrooms.
-
Turkey Run presents academic awards
Turkey Run High School freshmen, sophomores and juniors were honored at an awards program on May 16.
-
Goals, Pride & Achievements
Laci Pethtel of Oblong is the 2013 recipient of the Lincoln Trail College Professional Assistants Group scholarship.
-
VCSC to offer summer meals
Sarah Scott Middle School will offer free breakfast and lunch for people 18 years old and younger Monday through June 20.
-
Road Runners name scholarship winners
The Wabash Valley Road Runners have named Anne Mullican and Justin Clapp as the recipients of the 2013 WVRR scholarships.
-
South student blazes competition with research
Ryan Chung, a junior at Terre Haute South Vigo High School, placed first at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in the computer science category.
-
Indiana State University Dean’s List
Indiana State University has announced its dean’s list for the spring 2013 semester. Area students recognized for their academic achievement include:
-
RP recognizes outstanding students
Riverton Parke High School’s class of 2013 was honored on May 15 at the annual senior awards night in the school’s cafetorium.
-
Student blood donors receive scholarships
Roche Diagnostics and Indiana Blood Center are recognizing 81 high school seniors in Indiana who participate in community service.
-
Bruce’s History Lessons: Morse’s telegraph and its impact as a ‘game changer’
This week (May 24) in 1844, Professor Samuel F.B. Morse sat in the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., surrounded by members of Congress, who had come to witness history.
-
High schoolers attend automotive, welding skills competitions
Area high school students put their skills to the test at the annual Automotive Skills and Welding Skills competitions on April 18 at Ivy Tech Community College—Wabash Valley.
-
Riverton Parke presents concert, music awards
The Riverton Parke Jr.-Sr. High School Music Department presented its annual Spring Concert on May 13 in the school gymnasium.
-
Turkey Run senior awards and honors
Turkey Run High School seniors were honored at an awards program May 13. Scholarships and departmental and activity awards were presented.
-
South earns national yearbook design honor
The Terre Haute South yearbook, Uaxactun, has been recognized for excellence and featured in the 2013 Gotcha Covered Look Book, Volume 11 celebrating the best-of-the-best in yearbook design and coverage.
-
Vincennes University Dean’s List
The Vincennes University Dean’s List for Spring 2013 includes students from the Vincennes campus, Jasper campus, Aviation Technology Center in Indianapolis, military bases, and other extended sites.
-
4 more honored as Four Star Schools
In addition to the three Vigo County schools (Terre Haute South Vigo High School, Dixie Bee Elementary and Fayette Elementary schools) that were announced earlier, four more Wabash Valley schools were recognized as Indiana Four Star Schools.
-
Bruce’s history lessons: Truman’s decision to recognize Israel
This week (May 14) in 1948, at the direction of President Harry Truman, the United States recognized the existence of the newly formed state of Israel, which had declared independence earlier that day. It was, Truman later stated, among the most important decisions of his presidency.
- Reunion listings: May 16, 2013
-
Chances and Services for Youth to participate in food program
The Chances and Services for Youth recently announced plans to participate in the Summer Food Service Program.
-
South Latin students compete at convention
Terre Haute South Vigo High School Latin students competed with other Indiana schools at the recent state convention at ISU.
-
Southwest Parke School Corp. receives eLearning grant
Southwest Parke Community School Corp. has received an Imagining and Creating eLearning grant for the 2013-2014 school year through the Indiana Department of Education.
- Newsmakers: May 16, 2013
-
Otter Creek competes in regional Academic Super Bowl
The Otter Creek Academic Super Bowl teams competed in the regional Academic Super Bowl competition on April 27 at Sarah Scott Middle School.
-
Riverton Parke FFA teams compete at April 16 contest
Two Riverton Parke FFA Parliamentary Procedure Teams competed at the section competition for the Parliamentary Procedure Demonstration Contest on April 16 at the Indiana FFA Center in Trafalgar.
- More Schools Headlines
-
BRUCE’S HISTORY LESSONS: Montgomery Meigs establishes Arlington National Cemetery




