Ind. Supreme Court to take up silenced man's case

MUNSTER, Ind. — The Indiana Supreme Court will decide if a Gary man convicted of robbing a bank should get a new trial because a court bailiff placed a hand over the defendant's mouth while testifying.

The Times of Munster reported Tuesday (http://bit.ly/vOLXp8 ) the court's decision to review the case sets aside a September Indiana Court of Appeals ruling. The state's highest court now is set to hear oral arguments next year.

Thirty-year-old Kenneth Vaughn was testifying in his own defense when he began questioning his attorney's trial strategy and continued to do so even after Lake County Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr. told him three times to stop.

The Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 In September that Stefaniak overreacted in ordering the bailiff to silence Vaughn and ordered a new trial.

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Information from: The Times, http://www.thetimesonline.com