Cover Stories
Reclaiming Revenue: How Odyssey helps counties collect outstanding fines and court costs
May 6, 2013
Each year, millions of dollars in fines and courts costs charged to defendants in Indiana’s courts go unpaid, often leaving courts and clerks with little recourse for collecting those debts. Some people simply forget that they got that speeding ticket; others cannot come up with the money to pay that fine on time; and others simply ignore the court’s order. Their lives go on, the fines and costs remain unpaid, the courts’ judgments remain unfulfilled, and resource-strapped counties forego needed services. That is until 2011, when the Indiana Supreme Court partnered with... [Read the full story]
Features
A Toolkit for Helping Children
May 6, 2013
“The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children.” —Dietrich Bonhoeffer The same can be said of our courts, particularly those that deal with children in abuse or neglect cases. Juvenile courts handling termination of parental rights (TPR) and Children in Need of Services (CHINS) cases are faced daily with the dilemma of how to improve court procedures and provide more stability for children going through the system. Judges want to ensure that these cases are moving toward permanency efficiently, without sacrificing due process protections and the... [Read the full story]
Sidebar
Hon. Mary Willis
May 6, 2013
This is the twenty-third of our Court Times articles that highlight up close and personal a member of the Indiana Judiciary. Henry Circuit Court Judge Mary Willis is our judge featured in this issue. She received her undergraduate degree from the Ball State University and her law degree from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. Following graduation from law school in 1991, she was in private law practice in Greenfield until 1996 when then Henry Circuit Court Judge John Kellam appointed her as his Commissioner. Judge Kellam retired in 2002, and she ran for... [Read the full story]
Ethics
Punishing the Profane
May 6, 2013
Using Criminal Contempt Powers in an Ethical Manner Adefendant spews forth a string of curses during his initial hearing. A cell phone goes off in a busy courtroom, but no one will take responsibility for the disruption. When submitting a check to pay her fine, a litigant writes an expletive (expressing how she feels about the court) in the memo section. Judges often face disrespectful and disruptive behavior in the courtroom. While a judge certainly can and should safeguard the integrity, security, and decorum of the court, a judge must be careful when exercising contempt... [Read the full story]
Management Memo
Keeping Current on Title IV-D Information
May 6, 2013
The Division of State Court Administration (Division) has received inquiries from clerks, lawyers and litigants about access to court records that arise out of cases involving Title IV-D child support issues. After doing some “investigative” work, we learned that a 2002 memorandum issued by the Division regarding the confidentiality of Title IV-D agency records may be the source of the confusion. Based on this 2002 memorandum, some offices have denied access to all court records that may involve Tile IV-D child support issues. This practice is not accurate for two reasons. First,... [Read the full story]
Spotlight
Awards and Appointments
May 6, 2013
The Indiana State Bar Association, at the fall meeting’s Awards luncheon on October 25, 2012, recognized several members of the courts’ family for their tireless efforts and outstanding achievements, including the following: Presidential Citation Hon. Steven H. David Justice, Indiana Supreme Court Terry L. Harrell Executive Director, Indiana Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program Outstanding Judge Award Sponsored by the Young Lawyers Section Hon. Frank M. Nardi Judge, Owen Circuit Court Trailblazer/Abriendo Caminos Award Sponsored by the Latino Affairs Committee Hon. Jose... [Read the full story]
Features
A Toolkit for Helping Children
“The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children.” —Dietrich...
Indiana’s Parenting Time Guidelines Revised
In the first comprehensive revision since their adoption, the Indiana Supreme Court...
Public opinion requested on possible court rule changes
The Indiana Supreme Court is interested in obtaining comments from judges, attorneys...
Leadership Development Academy
OnTuesday, February 19, 2013, members of the Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA)...
Clinton County Court Staff Visit State House
In 2012 more than 1.5 million cases were filed in Indiana courts. All of those cases,...
Media Orientation for St. Joseph County Press
When St. Joseph Circuit Court Judge Michael Gotsch recently welcomed members of the...
Fast Facts about Court Interpreters
Nearly ten percent of Indiana’s 6.5 million residents speak a language other than...
Judicial District Plans
The District Plans are in! All twenty-six administrative districts submitted their...
More Posts From Features
Columns
Reclaiming Revenue: How Odyssey helps counties collect outstanding fines and court costs
Each year, millions of dollars in fines and courts costs charged to defendants in...
Punishing the Profane
Using Criminal Contempt Powers in an Ethical Manner Adefendant spews forth a string...
Hon. Mary Willis
This is the twenty-third of our Court Times articles that highlight up close and...
Keeping Current on Title IV-D Information
The Division of State Court Administration (Division) has received inquiries from...
Facsimile Transmittal Fee Facts
Can a court or clerk assess a fee for sending a document via facsimile? Several times...
Awards and Appointments
The Indiana State Bar Association, at the fall meeting’s Awards luncheon on October...
More Posts From Columns
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