EVANSVILLE, Il. — On the second floor of this courthouse, what at first glance looks like an ATM is actually a legal lifeline. It is a legal aid kiosk, which helps users facing eviction to get the legal help they need.

“It's going to either be in the courthouse or in their local library, and that's where low-income people seek help,” said Scott Wylie, an attorney with Pro Bono Indiana. “It's touch screen; it's intuitive. They can look up all of the resources that are available and provide legal assistance in their eviction action and other related housing stability issues. They can directly connect to a legal navigator who is trained to be able to provide them guidance.”

When evictions began rising in the state last year, pro bono legal services found many tenants in need of legal help.

“We found that over 50% of eviction clients, who were arriving to be removed from their apartment, had never heard of civil legal aid assistance or rental assistance. Over 50%,” Wylie said.

According to data collected by The Eviction Lab, as of early November, the number of evictions in cities across the country is on the rise. When compared to their average numbers from previous years, in Las Vegas, it rose 60%; in Cleveland, it was up 61%; in Milwaukee, it climbed to 68% and in Tampa, it skyrocketed 121%.

“We have a large problem across the United States, and solutions like these help chip away at those inequities that poor people are confronted with,” Wylie said.

Several states are now making use of legal kiosks, including Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana and North Dakota.

In Indiana, $1 million in federal COVID relief funds paid for 120 kiosks to get deployed across the state, which connects users to Indiana Legal Help. One will be placed in each of Indiana’s 92 counties. Advocates say it is something that is needed, especially in rural areas.

“The reality is, in many counties in Indiana and many counties across the United States, they're now 'legal deserts,'” Wylie said.

Abbie Bush heads up civil legal assistance programs at the Indiana Bar Foundation and worked to get the kiosks into the state.

“It was almost a no-brainer that this is what our state needed,” Bush said. “It's accessible to anybody, but we are targeting those people who are lower income and can receive free legal services.”

Those who do pro bono legal work believe those services could help prevent evictions.

“If we can intervene early, find the case before it has reached the point of not being repairable, we can help people cure for a relatively small amount of money,” Wylie said. “That's much different than what it costs society for someone to fall into homelessness.”

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. —

The victim in a deadly home invasion shooting in Madison County was a graduate of Northern Kentucky University's Chase College of Law and was a former assistant commonwealth attorney for Boone and Gallatin Counties.

32-year-old Jordan Morgan was shot and killed Tuesday at her parent's house.

"She came from a political family. Her father was a state legislator. She had a lot of access to the world of Kentucky politics," said NKU law professor, Ken Katkin. "She was working for congressman Massie part-time while she was going to Chase, and she was also working on Governor Bevin's campaign in 2015."

Katkin said Morgan just started a new job at an elite law firm in Lexington. He described Morgan as intelligent, resourceful and a natural leader.

"In the student organization, the Federal Society, they pretty much made her the president by acclimation. It wasn't even really seriously considered that anyone else could be the president. She was obviously presidential that she was the automatic choice for that," Katin said.

Kentucky State Police said Shannon Gilday, who is from Taylor Mill, Kentucky, forced his way into the home on Willis Branch Road around 4 a.m. armed with a rifle.

Police said once he was inside, he shot and killed Morgan while she was in bed.

Police then say Gilday allegedly confronted the homeowner, when gunshots were exchanged between the two.

The homeowner suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and Gilday left the scene in a 2016 white Toyota Corolla.

Former state Rep. Wesley Morgan owns the home, according to the Madison County property valuation administrator’s office.

Morgan told the Lexington Herald Leader that his daughter was killed.

Morgan served one term as a state representative for Richmond and Berea in Madison County.

Shannon's mother, Katie Gilday, said that she is saddened for the Morgan family's loss. She said her son has "not been of sound mind the last couple of weeks, distraught with the certainty a nuclear war is imminent."

The mother says her son spoke of building a bunker and the CIA following him. She said she tried to get him psychiatric help but was unsuccessful.

"I plead to Shannon to turn himself in so that he can get the help he so desperately needs. Meanwhile, I thank my family and friends for their love and support and ask for our privacy as we navigate through this unthinkable tragedy," the mother said.

Kentucky State Police told WLWT the bunker could be what led Gilday to the mansion. Online realtor postings show the $6.5 million home was built with a fallout shelter underneath.

KSP said until Gilday is located, they are looking at all possibilities.

Shannon Gilday has an active arrest warrant for murder, burglary, criminal mischief, assault and two counts of attempted murder.

He is considered armed and dangerous. He is believed to be driving a White 2016 Toyota Corolla with minor damage to the front grill, and a license plate of 379-VMJ.

Gilday is 6 feet tall and weighs 167 pounds. He has brown hair and blue eyes. Surveillance footage showed him wearing a camo or tactical style pants and jacket, dark-colored hooded sweatshirt, gloves and a light-colored face mask.

People are asked not to approach the vehicle or attempt to contact the driver for safety reasons. Anyone with additional information about the investigation is urged to call KSP Post 7 at 859-623-2404.

CINCINNATI —

A new law going into effect Wednesday bans vaccine mandates in Ohio public schools.

The law was passed in July and bans public school mandates of any vaccine that has not been fully approved by the FDA.

Pfizer has been fully approved for anyone over the age of 16.

Cincinnati Public Schools are as affected as any district by the new law.

“We’re the only district in Ohio who has a vaccination requirement for staff,” CPS board member Mike Moroski said.

Moroski said there is also a plan for a student vaccine mandate in the works.

“As policy chair, I ensured the language in our policy mirrored what the state law was going to be, which is what it is now, meaning if you wanted the vaccination, you had to get one that had FDA approval,” Moroski said.

There is also a component of the new law that says vaccinated and unvaccinated must be treated the same. So, schools could not put unvaccinated students in separate classrooms or require them to go to virtual school, unless it applies to all students.

There is a difference of opinion about whether schools can require unvaccinated to get regular COVID-19 tests.

“Our policy of submitting a negative test, there’s nothing in this state law that prohibits us from doing that,” Moroski said.

Others believe students and staff cannot be required to take the COVID-19 tests.

“I think that would percolate in the courts a little bit, just off of the initial reading, I’d say ‘no’ they cannot,” attorney Jason Phillabaum said.

Phillabaum said there are more vaccine mandate bans yet to come.

“This was passed three or four months ago when they first started to make mandates, and now, I think you’re starting to see some updated legislation that would prohibit the fully approved vaccine mandates as well,” Phillabaum said.

If the student vaccine mandate gets out of committee, CPS will vote on it on Oct. 28.

CINCINNATI —

A former U.S. attorney talked with WLWT about the riot at the U.S. Capitol exactly one week ago, and the process of identifying and prosecuting those who took part.

Former U.S. Attorney Ben Glassman described the investigation into the Capitol riot as a monumental undertaking.

He said the event was domestic terrorism and it is something the nation needs to confront now.

"This is not a new threat. This is a threat that has existed for quite a few years but has clearly been growing over the last several years and now appears to have hit a crescendo," Glassman said.

He spent 15 years as a federal prosecutor and four years as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Ohio.

Glassman also investigated and prosecuted domestic terrorism.

He called last week's riot just that.

"I was beyond shocked. I was outraged," he said.

Dozens have been charged and the FBI continues to scour a wealth of photos, videos and social media evidence.

The agency has opened 170 case files and gotten more than 100,000 pieces of digital media since last week.

"I've seen many cases in my own experience where a cell phone video that someone took at the time of the crime was the difference between a successful prosecution and no prosecution at all," Glassman said.

He said when investigating a case this serious, it is important to make sure it is complete so that all of the participants in any sort of criminal activity are known.

"Conspiracies are often investigated and then prosecuted by finding out the full scope of who's in the conspiracy and often charging or at least bringing to awareness of charges those people at the lower levels of the conspiracy first," Glassman said.

He said those who carry out commands might decide to cooperate with law enforcement once they see what they've done is wrong and consider potential consequences.

New tips about potential threats are pouring into law enforcement agencies leading to tighter security at statehouses and in Washington, D.C., ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.

Glassman said peaceful protests are protected by the First Amendment, but if you are concerned about something you see or hear, tell law enforcement.

"The First Amendment does not give anyone the license to engage in violent conduct, to destroy property, to try to influence or coerce or intimidate the government. Those are all crimes. They're very serious crimes," Glassman said.

There are concerns that some are "going dark" or switching to encrypted messaging systems.

Compared to social media, Glassman said that makes it much tougher for law enforcement to identify future threats.

"There really can be, in my opinion, no higher priority for federal law enforcement than to identify and then, shut down this threat," he said.

Glassman said over the years, there have not been many prosecutions for seditious conspiracy or for interstate travel to participate in a riot, but he thinks those will be important tools for federal agents and prosecutors as they move forward in these cases.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s nominee for attorney general, Merrick Garland, is set for his confirmation hearing on Monday.

Garland is vowing to prioritize civil rights, combat extremist attacks and ensure the Justice Department remains politically independent.

When the 68-year-old appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee, he's likely to face questions about the investigation of Biden’s son Hunter as well as the fallout from the U.S. Capitol riot.

Garland focuses in his prepared remarks on prioritizing policing and civil rights to combat racial discrimination and says America doesn’t “yet have equal justice.”

If confirmed as attorney general, Garland says it “will be the culmination of a career I have dedicated to ensuring that the laws of our country are fairly and faithfully enforced, and that the rights of all Americans are protected.

Many became familiar with Garland in 2016 when the federal appeals court judge was snubbed by Republicans for a seat on the Supreme Court and denied a hearing.