Crown Point, Indiana

From Crown Point’s NWTimes.com of January 27, 2007

Jury clears murder defendant

Second trial brings acquittal in 2002 tavern shooting

A Lake County jury on Friday cleared murder defendant David Schane of all counts against him.

The jury was asked to decide whether Schane fatally shot Tim Dovichi, 37, in self defense, or if Schane's actions constituted murder. The jury returned after about five hours deliberation with not guilty verdicts on all counts, said Diane Poulton, spokeswoman for the Lake County prosecutor's office.

Dovichi died of a single gunshot wound to the chest in the parking lot of the Three Stooges Bar in Cedar Lake Feb. 12, 2002.

Schane was taking care of the bar while his brother, the owner, was out of town. Dovichi had been banned earlier from the bar but went there that night with his girlfriend.

Schane asked Dovichi to leave several times, and Dovichi did without incident, testimony in the case indicated.

When Schane heard loud voices in the parking lot, he told jurors, he went onto the side porch of the bar. Schane said Dovichi came around the building toward him, and Schane felt threatened. He pulled out a gun and fired once, not hitting Dovichi.

Then, Schane said, he leveled the laser sight onto Dovichi's chest and fired again.

Schane's first trial in June 2005 ended in a hung jury.

Schane, who had been free on bond since October 2002, faced up to 65 years in prison if convicted.