MUNCIE, IN — In light of a vote of no-confidence by Delaware County commissioners Monday, Marion County prosecutor’s officials said they are focused on trends that show they are convicting more criminals than in previous years.
A resolution Delaware County commissioner Stephen Brand read during Monday’s meeting said prosecutors in Indiana are expected to uphold the rule of law, protect public safety and seek justice on behalf of crime victims.
Brand said those standards haven’t been met under Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears.
“Elected officials and prosecutors from counties surrounding Marion County have documented increasing criminal activity involving individuals traveling from Marion County into neighboring jurisdictions, creating significant public safety challenges and financial burdens for local taxpayers,” Brand said, reading from the resolution. “Whereas, Delaware County has experienced firsthand the consequences of these policies, including major violent felony prosecutions involving multiple defendants who traveled from Marion County to commit serious crimes within Delaware County.”
Michael Leffler, communications director for the Marion County prosecutor, said in a statement Tuesday that his office is focused on delivering justice for victims and improving public safety in Marion County.
“Marion County prosecutors have secured homicide conviction rates above 90% for three consecutive years, and IMPD reports that homicides in Indianapolis are down nearly 20% in 2026, approaching levels not seen in more than two decades,” Leffler said.
But Brand said Delaware County officials aren’t alone in their sentiments, pointing to a similar vote of no-confidence by the Indiana Fraternal Order of Police just more than a year ago.
At that time, Leffler called the union’s vote a “political stunt.”
Commissioner Shannon Henry said his decision to support the resolution stemmed from the backing of Delaware County’s prosecutor and sheriff, Eric Hoffman and Tony Skinner, respectively.
“I’ll be honest with you. I wasn’t, when I first heard about this, excited about signing something like this,” Henry said. “But since the prosecutor as weighed in, along with the sheriff, they’re the only reason I would agree to sign this.”
Hoffman said counties closer to Marion, such as Hendricks and Boone, likely receive the most “spill over crime,” but he has no doubt that a large amount of drugs come from Marion County specifically.
The lack of accountability from the Marion County prosecutor’s office, Hoffman said, has created an image of “rogue prosecutors” in Indiana.
“The problem with such a broad brush statement is that it isn’t accurate. I, and others, are tired of getting lumped in with the Marion County prosecutor with these general statements,” Hoffman said in an email late Tuesday. “We are nothing alike. The only rogue prosecutor that I know of in Indiana is located in Marion County. The rest of us do our jobs and enforce the law as it written and hold people accountable.”
Expanding on a Facebook post he made Monday, citing “lawlessness” in Indianapolis, Hoffman said Indianapolis police frequently make arrests only for alleged criminals to be released soon after.
“The door to the jail seems to be quite the revolving door. Something has to give. I am not alone in voicing concerns,” Hoffman said, pointing to similar votes of no-confidence across the state. “The Marion County prosecutor can make up and twist as many stats as he wants. What he doesn’t tell you is how many cases are turned in by the IMPD and never filed by the prosecutor’s office. How large is that number? How many cases does he dismiss? How many cases get sweetheart plea deals? Finally, how many laws does he wholesale refuse to enforce?”
Reporter Doug Walker contributed to this report.
Jillian Ellison is a reporter. She can be reached via email at jellison@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Marion Co. prosecutor says crime down despite Delaware’s no-confidence vote
Reporting by Jillian Ellison, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Muncie Star Press
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By Jillian Ellison, Lafayette Journal & Courier | USA TODAY Network
