Eric Blankenship

Immediately after passing the bar in 2002, I knew I wanted to be a prosecutor to make a difference in my community and preserve our judicial system. More specifically, a trial attorney because there’s no better opportunity to get courtroom experience than being a prosecutor. It was also quickly proven to me that being a trial attorney was exactly the right fit for me.

For the next 17 years, I honed my craft and became very comfortable arguing cases to juries and judges. I tried well over 100 court and jury trials during my career as a prosecutor. I saw everything from DUIs, robberies, sex crimes, and even homicide.

However, something started becoming apparent to me. I began to realize that the people I was prosecuting were more than just criminals or people that acted irresponsible or refused to abide by the law.

More often than not, they were people that simply made a mistake.

Or they had an addiction. Or made a bad choice. Or acted out of anger or jealousy. Now, because of their mistake, they were facing not only jail, but possibly losing their job, maybe their family, and facing public shame.

The problem is the prosecutor gets the police reports, the statements taken by the detectives and officers, and sometimes the statements of witnesses. What prosecutors don’t get most of the time is the accused’s side of the story. Your side of the story.

Prosecutors argue the law.

I wanted to argue on behalf of the person.

With a change of heart, I knew I had to stand up for the accused and be a criminal defense attorney. I started Blankenship Law to do just that. It was time to make a new difference and recognize that people make mistakes and you shouldn’t have to pay for it for the rest of your life.

You need an attorney that will actually take the time to listen to you and try to understand the fears and helplessness you are currently feeling. You might be dealing with the reality of possibly going to jail and you’re unsure of what to expect. I know it can be a very uncertain and scary situation, there is potentially so much at risk. What will happen to your job, your children or your marriage? You will need someone that can walk you through the process and protect your rights and goals. It’s times like these that a strong, competent, and understanding attorney needs to be by your side.

I also know that most of the time, people that are in the criminal justice system are not bad people. Most of these people have merely been at the wrong place at the wrong time, made some bad decisions or possibly have an addiction. Many of these circumstances can be addressed and handled through the judicial process without seriously harming or ruining a person’s life. But to get through the process with the best possible results, you are going to need an experienced attorney that will guide you through it all and be there for you to the very end.

I’m Eric Blankenship, and I’ve dedicated my professional career to protecting the rights of others. Growing up in Southern Indiana, I learned the value of hard work and persistence. I was the first in my family to attend and graduate from college. After graduating from college, I worked for a year in the newspaper business before pursuing my dream of becoming a lawyer. I attended law school and graduated in just over two years by going year round while also working as a law clerk at a local firm. After finishing law school, I was hired as a deputy prosecutor in Hamilton County.

While at the prosecutor’s office, I learned from the ground up. I started in the screening department which meant I took in all misdemeanor and low level felony cases and decided what, if any, charge(s) to file. Soon thereafter, I was moved into the Superior Courts where I prosecuted those same types of cases and was quickly promoted to the major felony courts. I was then recruited by the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office and was immediately placed into the Major Felony Division. Within one year, I was promoted to Major Felony Supervisor of four felony courts. While there, I tried a large amount of cases including burglary, sex crimes, robbery, fraud, and homicides. After almost five years with Marion County, I was appointed the Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for Blackford County.