INDIANA— A new Indiana law went into effect on July 1, 2026, creating a crucial standard in criminal sentencing: requiring defendants to be present in the courtroom while victims and their families read their impact statements.
The legislation, officially designated as Senate Bill 9 (and often referred to as “Aubree’s Law”), was authored by Senator Liz Brown (R-Fort Wayne) to close a legal loophole that previously allowed convicted individuals to waive their presence during one of the most vital phases of the justice process.
Born From Tragedy: Ending the “Empty Chair”
The drive for SB 9 stems from a painful 2021 case in Allen County involving the murders of 26-year-old Sarah Zent and her 2-year-old daughter, Aubree Zent, and her siblings, five-year-old Carter Zent and three-year-old Ashton Zent, at a Fort Wayne home at 2904 Gay Street in June 2021. At the killer’s sentencing hearing, the defendant chose to remain in his cell rather than face the victims’ loved ones.
Their killer, Cohen Hancz-Barron, refused to attend his own sentencing, leaving families to deliver their statements to an empty chair —a painful experience that left them feeling robbed of accountability and closure.
“When we went through court, and her victim impact statements were read, we were allowed to read them, but it was to an empty chair,” said Justin Moore, Aubree’s father, who testified at the Statehouse in support of the measure. “If this law were in place back then, he would have had to sit and listen… family members don’t have to worry about talking to a chair anymore.”
How the Law Works
Under Senate Bill 9, judges are mandated to ensure the defendant is physically present in the courtroom when victim impact statements are presented.
Key provisions of the law include:
- Mandatory Presence: Defendants cannot voluntarily skip or waive the victim impact portion of a sentencing hearing.
- Safety & Disruption Exceptions: A judge may only excuse a defendant from the courtroom if they pose a direct physical safety risk or cause a significant, continuous disruption to proceedings.
- Recapture Rules: If a defendant fails to appear for their sentencing hearing (e.g., flees or escapes) and is later captured, the court must hold a dedicated hearing upon the prosecutor’s motion so victims can deliver their statements in the defendant’s presence.
Legal advocates and prosecutors emphasize that being heard in front of the perpetrator plays a critical role in the long-term healing process for survivors and grieving families.
For many, the courtroom proceedings represent the final official hurdle before processing their grief outside of the legal system.
With Senate Bill 9 now active statewide, Indiana joins a growing list of states taking steps to ensure that victims’ rights are fully protected from the moment charges are filed through the final moments of sentencing.
