Ex-Indiana secretary of state begins serving home detention

FISHERS, Ind. (AP) - Former Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White has started serving his one-year sentence of home detention more than 3ˆ½ years after being convicted of perjury and other charges that forced him from office.

Ralph Watson, executive director of Hamilton County Community Corrections, told The Indianapolis Star (http://indy.st/1j9OKzs ) that White was placed on electronic monitoring Friday.

The Indiana Court of Appeals last December unanimously upheld White's convictions on perjury, voting in an incorrect precinct and theft. The latter charge stemmed from taking a Fishers Town Council salary while not living in his council district.

The appeals court overturned three other felony convictions while keeping in place White's one-year sentence of home detention in the case. A Hamilton County judge had put White's sentence on hold while the Republican appealed his convictions.

White was convicted in February 2012 in connection with using the home of his ex-wife, which was within his council district, as his voting address in 2010 while he served on the Town Council and campaigned for secretary of state. Evidence presented during his trial indicated White had been living with his then-fiancee at her town house.

White maintained he was unfairly singled out for prosecution and that other politicians such as former Gov. Mitch Daniels and former Sen. Richard Lugar also haven't lived at the addresses from which they were registered to vote.

White also was fined $1,000 and ordered to perform 30 hours of community service.

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Information from: The Indianapolis Star, http://www.indystar.com