Carl Brizzi, a larger-than-life former Marion County prosecutor who vigorously went after violent criminals and seemed to magnetize allegation after allegation of professional misconduct, has died.
“With great sadness, our law firm confirms the passing of our friend and colleague Carl Brizzi, 53, who suffered a stroke this evening,” reads a Facebook post from the law firm Lewis And Wilkins LLP. “Our thoughts are with his wife and children.”
Brizzi was once a rising-star Republican who served as Marion County prosecutor from 2003 to 2010, with an eye on higher office. In 2020, he unsuccessfully ran for Congress to represent Indiana’s 5th district, promising to aid former President Donald Trump’s crusade against China’s human rights record and trade practices.
Brizzi claimed during his congressional bid that under his direction the Marion County prosecutor’s office had some of the highest violent offender conviction rates in the U.S.
He also said his office upped the collection of outstanding child support by more than 45 percent. That led to “the distribution of more than 100 million dollars annually to deserving children,” according to the biography published at his congressional campaign website.
Republican state lawmaker and former Marion County Republican Party chairman Mike Murphy said Brizzi, a New York native, was a diligent and effective prosecutor who worked with legislators to help influence criminal law.
Murphy said he and Brizzi shaped legislation that…
