Indiana Code 3-8-1-5. Disqualification of candidates
(b) As used in this section, “felony” means a conviction for which the convicted person might have been imprisoned for more than one (1) year.
Attorney's Note
Under the Indiana Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class A misdemeanor | up to 1 year | up to $5,000 |
Terms Used In Indiana Code 3-8-1-5
- Bench trial: Trial without a jury in which a judge decides the facts.
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
- Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
- Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
- United States: includes the District of Columbia and the commonwealths, possessions, states in free association with the United States, and the territories. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
- Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
- Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
(1) a felony conviction for which the person has been pardoned;
(2) a felony conviction that has been:
(A) reversed;
(B) vacated;
(C) set aside;
(D) not entered because the trial court did not accept the person’s guilty plea; or
(E) expunged under Ind. Code § 35-38-9; or
(3) a person’s plea of guilty or nolo contendere at a guilty plea hearing that is not accepted and entered by a trial court.
(d) A person is disqualified from assuming or being a candidate for an elected office if:
(1) the person gave or offered a bribe, threat, or reward to procure the person’s election, as provided in Article 2, Section 6 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana;
(2) the person does not comply with Ind. Code § 5-8-3 because of a conviction for a violation of the federal laws listed in that statute;
(3) in a:
(A) jury trial, a jury publicly announces a verdict against the person for a felony;
(B) bench trial, the court publicly announces a verdict against the person for a felony; or
(C) guilty plea hearing, the person pleads guilty or nolo contendere to a felony;
(4) the person has been removed from the office the candidate seeks under Article 7, Section 11 or Article 7, Section 13 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana;
(5) the person is a member of the United States armed forces on active duty and prohibited by the United States Department of Defense from being a candidate;
(6) the person is subject to:
(A) 5 U.S.C. § 1502 (the Little Hatch Act); or
(B) 5 U.S.C. §§ 7321–7326 (the Hatch Act);
and would violate either federal statute by becoming or remaining the candidate of a political party for nomination or election to an elected office or a political party office; or
(7) the person is a nonjudicial court employee who would violate Rule 4.6 of the Indiana Code of Judicial Conduct by being the candidate of a political party for nomination or election to an elected office or a political party office.
(e) The subsequent reduction of a felony to a Class A misdemeanor under Ind. Code § 35 after the:
(1) jury has announced its verdict against the person for a felony;
(2) court has announced its verdict against the person for a felony; or
(3) person has pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to a felony;
does not affect the operation of subsection (d).
[Pre-1986 Recodification Citation: Ind. Const. Art. 2, § 6.]
As added by P.L.5-1986, SEC.4. Amended by P.L.3-1987, SEC.82; P.L.4-1991, SEC.32; P.L.3-1993, SEC.54; P.L.3-1997, SEC.114; P.L.176-1999, SEC.26; P.L.113-2005, SEC.1; P.L.37-2008, SEC.1; P.L.181-2014, SEC.1; P.L.74-2017, SEC.20; P.L.142-2020, SEC.3; P.L.193-2021, SEC.16.