(ANGOLA) - A new report is bringing fresh scrutiny to the race for Steuben County prosecutor, focusing on an expunged criminal case involving candidate Stephanie Hamilton.
The report, published by the The Herald Republican and written by reporter Lynn Thompson, reconstructs details of a case that no longer appears in Indiana's public court records due to expungement.
According to the Herald Republican, Hamilton was arrested in 2022 following a crash in DeKalb County and later pleaded guilty to operating while intoxicated with endangerment. Court records cited in the report show her blood alcohol concentration was 0.15 percent--nearly twice the legal limit.
Because of a conflict of interest, the case was transferred out of DeKalb County and handled by a special prosecutor in Allen County, according to the report. Hamilton received a suspended sentence and completed court-ordered requirements.
The Herald Republican reports the case was later expunged after about two years. Under Indiana law, expungement of that level offense typically requires a five-year waiting period, but the newspaper reports the shorter timeline was allowed with prosecutorial consent. The report states that under the standard timeline, Hamilton would not have been eligible for expungement until 2027.
Because the record was expunged, the case does not appear in Indiana's MyCase system. The Herald Republican reports it obtained archived documents to reconstruct the timeline and details.
Hamilton responded to the report by telling the newspaper she "did nothing illegal." She also said she is an attorney in good standing with no disciplinary history. She questioned how the documents were obtained, describing them as "unofficial," and suggested they may have been released by someone attempting to harm her career and personal life.
The Herald Republican reports the documents did not come from anyone currently or previously working in a prosecutor's office and says its reporting relied on archived materials.
WLKI News has reached out to Hamilton for additional comment this morning.
The reporting comes as voters prepare for the upcoming primary in a closely watched race for Steuben County prosecutor.
For a full account of the documents, timeline, and reporting behind the case, readers are encouraged to review the Herald Republican story by Lynn Thompson.