Cover Stories
How to Handle Expungements
June 16, 2010
In regards to court records, what is expungement? When is it authorized? How is it accomplished? Black’s Law Dictionary tells us to expunge is “to destroy or obliterate; blot out; efface designedly; strike out wholly.” Express authority for courts to order expungement of records in Indiana is rather limited. Statutory authority for expungement of arrest records is found in I.C. 35-38-5-1 et seq.1 Expungement of records concerning delinquent children and children in need of services is authorized by I.C. 31-39-8-1 et seq. Case law interpreting the Governor’s pardon power... [Read the full story]
Features
Different Processes Govern Special Judge Appointments for Criminal and Civil Cases
June 16, 2010
Indiana rules of procedure and case law allow for the appointment of special judges under certain circumstances. The process for selecting judges can sometimes be confusing because it varies depending on the type of case and the reason a special judge is needed. In civil cases, different steps must be followed depending on whether the regular judge granted a motion for a change of judge or because the regular judge disqualified and recused from the case. The rules provide an entirely different process for criminal, post conviction relief, infraction, and ordinance violation... [Read the full story]
Sidebar
Hon. Joseph D. Trout
June 16, 2010
This is the ninth of our Court Times articles that highlight up close and personal a member of the Indiana Judiciary. Clay County Circuit Court Judge Joseph D. Trout is our judge featured in this issue. Judge Trout was elected as Circuit Court Judge in 2007. He graduated from Indiana State University in 1978, and received his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Indiana University-Indianapolis in 1983. He served as Deputy Prosecutor in Vigo County from 1984 to 1989 and was the Brazil City Attorney from 2004 to 2006. What do you like most and least about being a trial court judge? In... [Read the full story]
Employment Law
Performance Appraisals… To Do or Not To Do?
June 16, 2010
Experts on employee management are divided regarding whether employers should conduct annual performance appraisals of staff. Judging by the show of hands at the recent Judicial College seminar on office management, Indiana’s judiciary is also divided in its use of performance appraisals. The purpose of this article is to succinctly set forth the pros and cons so each court may make its own decision. A substantial number of management and human resource experts no longer use traditional performance appraisals. The reasons for abandoning the tradition include: most... [Read the full story]
Court Technology
Latest Version of Odyssey Packed with Features Designed for Judges and Clerks
June 16, 2010
Courts that use the Odyssey case management system went to work on Monday, April 19 to find the software chock full of new features, many of which were requested by Court and Clerk users. Since the system was initially implemented in December 2007, JTAC and Tyler Technologies have deployed several updates to the Odyssey software. These updates, which you might hear us call “new releases,” include new functionality in all areas of the application including reporting, new bulk processing features, and calendaring. Since Odyssey is used in several other Court systems throughout... [Read the full story]
Spotlight
Justice Awarded and Judge Honored
June 16, 2010
Indiana Supreme Court Justice Frank Sullivan Jr., received the American Bar Association Section of Litigation’s 2010 Diversity Leadership Award. The award was presented during the section’s annual conference in New York City on April 21. The award was established in 2008 to recognize those individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to promoting full and equal participation in the legal profession through proactive encouragement and inclusion of women, people of color, persons with disabilities and persons of differing sexual orientations and gender identities in the... [Read the full story]
Features
Different Processes Govern Special Judge Appointments for Criminal and Civil Cases
Indiana rules of procedure and case law allow for the appointment of special judges...
Highlights from the 2010 Indiana General Assembly for Courts and Clerks
The Indiana Judicial Conference has compiled an excellent and extensive digest of...
Spanish Language DVD Available for Juvenile Judges
Attention Juvenile Judges: By now you should have received the Spanish Initial Hearing-Juvenile...
Workplace Spanish Class Still Available
The Supreme Court, Indiana Judicial Center, and Division of State Court Administration...
Marshall County Courts Launch State-of-the-Art Video Teleconferencing Technology
Under the leadership of Marshall Superior Court #2 Judge Dean A. Colvin and with...
More Posts From Features
Columns
Latest Version of Odyssey Packed with Features Designed for Judges and Clerks
Courts that use the Odyssey case management system went to work on Monday, April...
Hon. Joseph D. Trout
This is the ninth of our Court Times articles that highlight up close and personal...
Justice Awarded and Judge Honored
Indiana Supreme Court Justice Frank Sullivan Jr., received the American Bar Association...
Performance Appraisals… To Do or Not To Do?
Experts on employee management are divided regarding whether employers should conduct...
More Posts From Columns
Current Issue in Magazine Format
