A look at Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill's first year in office

Curtis Hill hasn't strayed from his conservative roots in his first year in office as Indiana's attorney general.

Look no further than his stances on abortion access, needle exchanges, medical marijuana and other politically charged topics.

"I am not surprised by his first year. He was elected after several years as a hardline, law-and-order prosecutor," said Joel Schumm, a professor at Indiana University's Robert H. McKinney School of Law.

"He has taken the same approach as attorney general with his strong opposition to such things as needle exchange programs and medical marijuana and support of higher drug penalties and civil forfeiture."

As the first African-American man to serve as the state's 43rd chief legal officer, Hill took on the role after serving four terms as the Elkhart County prosecutor.

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Here are a few issues Hill has taken on in his first year:

Abortion

The issue: Indiana passed a series of laws last legislative session that impose further restrictions on access to abortion.

A federal judge later issued an injunction that prevents the state from enforcing the law that restricts abortion access to minors. The same judge also issued an injunction against Mike Pence-era restrictions on abortion procedures that require funerals for fetal remains.

Hill's take: Hill has appealed and defended laws that require parental consent for minors seeking abortions and formal burials for fetal remains and a law that punishes doctors for performing abortion procedures.

In late October, after one of the injunctions was issued, Hill said the state has a "compelling interest in protecting the dignity of the unborn and in ensuring they are not selected for termination simply because they lack preferred physical characteristics."

“By declaring unconstitutional a state law that would bar abortions based solely on race, sex or disability such as Down syndrome, a federal judge has cleared the path for genetic discrimination that once seemed like science fiction," he said.

“Further, requiring that the remains of deceased unborn children be accorded at least the dignity of low-cost burials or cremation is hardly an impingement of anyone’s individual rights."

More: Attorney general plans to appeal federal judge's ruling that blocks Indiana abortion law

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More: Bill changes preserve minors' abortion access

Needle exchanges

The issue: Amid the nation's opioid crisis, counties are turning to needle exchange programs to help curb communicable diseases spread among drug users.

Some prominent Republicans have backed the programs the programs. As part of his first legislative agenda, Gov. Eric Holcomb supported and signed a bill that gave localities the freedom to establish syringe exchange programs.

"Scientific evidence shows these programs are effective," Stephanie Wilson, a spokeswoman for Holcomb's office, told IndyStar.

"They not only help stop the spread of diseases like HIV and Hepatitis C, but they also provide opportunities to connect those with opioid addictions to the resources and treatment they need."

Hill's take: Hill has repeatedly called into question the effectiveness of needle exchange programs.

Last month Hill accused the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of manipulating facts in order to push a “pro-needle-exchange agenda.” Hill insists that needle exchange programs increase drug use.

More: Curtis Hill accuses CDC of trying to alter data on needle exchanges

Civil forfeiture

The issue: Attorney Jeff Cardella, who filed a federal lawsuit against Indiana last year over the state's vehicle forfeiture procedure, called the action unconstitutional. And in August U.S. District Chief Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson ruled that Indiana's forfeiture law violates the due process clause of the Fifth and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

Stinson issued an order that partially halts the police seizure of vehicles in Indiana drug cases and other related crimes, calling the seizure of vehicles before an official forfeiture action unconstitutional.

More: Federal judge strikes down part of Indiana's vehicle seizure law

Hill's take: Hill has come to the defense of civil seizure.

After criticizing Stinson's decision, Hill's office filed an appeal to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in September.

“Civil forfeiture has been a longstanding process in the state of Indiana and is a valuable tool in the battle against organized criminal behavior," Hill's office told IndyStar in August.

Cardella told IndyStar that "the procedures in place allow for abuse, and there is abuse."

Stop and frisk

The issue: Stop and frisk is a method of patting down a suspect simply based on an officer’s suspicions of criminal activity. The tactic has been credited with reducing crime in places such as New York City. It also has been controversial, with data that shows police heavily target minorities.

Hill's take: Earlier this year Hill joined a handful of other conservative states to intervene in a U.S. Supreme Court case involving stop and frisk.

Hill in August agreed to join the attorneys general of Michigan, Texas, Utah and West Virginia to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a drug-dealing suspect's conviction, contending it infringes on Second Amendment gun rights.

The question in the inital lawsuit filed in West Virginia is whether police can frisk someone based solely on a reasonable belief that the person is armed.

The attorney generals argued that doing so would violate the person’s right to bear arms.

Medical marijuana

The issue: In April, Indiana passed a law that allows epilepsy patients who have struggled with prescription drugs to treat their condition with cannabidiol, or CBD, which is a nonpsychoactive substance in marijuana. The products must have less than 0.3 percent of THC, which is the compound that causes a high.

Hill's take: Hill strongly opposes efforts to legalize marijuana, emphasizing its health and public safety risks.

In June Hill wrote an op-ed column to IndyStar:

"Simply legalizing 'marijuana as medicine' is just a timid way of tiptoeing into waters that conscientious lawmakers know in their hearts should be avoided.

"Here in Indiana, money-hungry profiteers are lining up with dollar signs in their eyes contemplating prospects of a legal marijuana market. Recent news stories named some of those eager to invest in legalized dope-dealing.

"Let’s hope that day never comes."

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Call IndyStar reporter Fatima Hussein at (317) 444-6209. Follow her on Twitter: @fatimathefatima.