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Attorney at Law

Phone: (765) 423-2557

Fax: (765) 423-4544

300 Main Street, Suite #500
Lafayette, IN 47901

The Right to Reasonably Resist


Indiana permits a person to use reasonable force to prevent or terminate an unlawful entry by a public servant into his home (the Castle Doctrine).

In Jean-Baptiste v. State, a law enforcement officer who attempted to effect a civil arrest warrant was not lawfully engaged in the execution of his duties when he reached across the threshold of a defendant’s residence without permission or other legal justification, and grabbed the defendant. The defendant pulled away, so the officer entered the home and placed the defendant in custody. As the officer was not lawfully engaged in the exercise of his duties, the defendant had the right to reasonably resist the officer. The defendant’s conviction for resisting law enforcement was reversed for insufficient evidence.

With over 33 years of handling thousands of criminal cases, Steven Knecht is familiar with the possible defenses to drug offenses and other criminal charges. Few other attorney can match his trial experience and knowledge of criminal law and he can use that experience and knowledge to benefit you. If you find yourself having been arrested, you should immediately hire an experienced criminal defense lawyer that you can trust such as Steven Knecht to help you fight the State because you have a lot at stake on the outcome.

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