News Archive

Professor Shawn Boyne talked about prosecutors' roles in cases involving serious crimes for a story published in the Chicago Tribune on October 12. In this particular news story, the defendant is accused of murder, and is said to have confessed at the police station. Court documents show that the prosecutor's office in Porter County was involved at some level.

“Prosecutors tend to work with police more closely in the investigation of the most serious crimes like murder,” Professor Boyne said in the story. “In addition, they are often involved early in the investigation of crimes that require search warrants such as drug trafficking because the prosecutor may draft the affidavit for the warrant.”

Professor Boyne teaches courses in cybercrime, criminal law, criminal procedure, and national security law. Early in her career, Professor Boyne served as a senior trial prosecutor for the State of New Mexico, specializing in the prosecution of child sexual abuse and domestic violence cases. She worked for several years as a defense attorney and served on the boards of several non-profit organizations dedicated to protecting the rights of children.

She is currently serving as an ACE Fellow during the 2018-19 academic year and is in residence at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia for the fall semester. ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutions, representing nearly 1,800 college and university presidents and related associations. It provides leadership on key higher education issues and influences public policy through advocacy.