Cover Stories
Civics Workshop for Teachers
June 26, 2014
Surveys, talk show hosts and the nightly news remind us that American students are woefully uninformed about even the most basic functions of our government. While no one group or organization can solve this problem on its own, the Indiana Supreme Court—through its “Courts in the Classroom” (CITC) outreach project—is doing its part by hosting workshops for Indiana teachers on the operation of Indiana’s judicial branch. Since 2008, approximately 363 teachers from around the state have participated in these workshops. In the early years, teachers registered for the... [Read the full story]
Features
Sealing Court Records: The How and the Why (Not)
June 26, 2014
Some cases are embarrassing for the parties involved—with free, easy public access to many court records via the Internet, some people rue the day they ever decided to go to the courthouse and file a case. For a variety of reasons, the parties would rather their employers, in-laws, landlords, or bank loan officers were oblivious to their legal history. Because of this, trial courts sometimes find themselves presented with a motion to seal the case records—whether it is a protection order case, a debt collection case, a dissolution of marriage case, or another matter that... [Read the full story]
Ethics
Speak when you are angry & you will make the best speech you’ll ever regret
June 26, 2014
The Ethics of Judicial Campaigns: Part 2 One of the hottest topics these days in judicial elections is campaign speech. As judicial elections become more heated, so too does the campaign rhetoric. It is important to remember, however, that judicial elections are different than other elections. Judicial candidates certainly maintain a first amendment right to express ideas during their campaigns. Nonetheless, the underpinnings of judicial office—independence, integrity, and impartiality—also require that judicial candidates be more circumspect in what they say while campaigning. A... [Read the full story]
Family Violence
Children Who Witness Violence
June 26, 2014
I once heard a judge compare her civil protection order docket to an emergency room—especially the ex parte cases. What an apt comparison! Judges and court staff often deal with people who have been physically, mentally, and emotionally traumatized when they consider ex parte protection orders. Violence of any kind is traumatic to human beings, and children, who lack the experience and coping skills of adults, are among the most vulnerable to trauma. Over the past several years, researchers have been studying just how frequently the nation’s children are exposed to violence,... [Read the full story]
Court Technology
Introducing… The Guardianship Registry
June 26, 2014
With the help of funding from the Division of State Court Administration, Judge Susan Orr Henderson, Fountain County Circuit Court, and Judge Diane Kavadias Schneider, Lake County Superior Court, Civil Division, worked with a task force and the Division’s Judicial Technology and Automation Committee (JTAC) staff to develop a new Guardianship Registry Application in response to the need for courts to better track and monitor the status of guardianship cases in Indiana. On May 1st, the pilot of the Guardianship Registry was launched. A new INcite application, the Registry allows... [Read the full story]
Sidebar
Hon. Lynne Elise Ellis
June 26, 2014
This is the twenty-ninth of our Court Times articles that highlight up close and personal a member of the Indiana Judiciary. Martin Circuit Court Judge Lynne Ellis is our judge featured in this issue. She received her undergraduate degree from Oakland City University and her law degree from Indiana University Maurer School of Law (Bloomington) in 1999. Following graduation from law school, she joined her step-father, John Duncan, at the Duncan Law Office in French Lick, where they formed the firm of Duncan & Ellis, PC. Their practice concentrated in the areas of public... [Read the full story]
Features
Sealing Court Records: The How and the Why (Not)
Some cases are embarrassing for the parties involved—with free, easy public access...
2014 Legislative Review
Editor’s Note: This report is a condensed version of the full report prepared by...
Designating Criminal Cases after July 1, 2014
New case types are coming when the Criminal Code Revision Act (H.E.A.1006) becomes...
Improved but not perfect: Marion County Small Claims Courts two years later
In May 2012, the Marion County Small Claims Courts Task Force (“Task Force”)...
Indiana Probation Standards revised effective July 1st
The Judicial Conference of Indiana Board of Directors voted unanimously at its March...
Chief Justice Dickson Establishes Indiana Committee to Study Evidence-Based Pretrial Release
A newly-established committee of the Supreme Court is working to help Indiana courts...
More Posts From Features
Columns
Speak when you are angry & you will make the best speech you’ll ever regret
The Ethics of Judicial Campaigns: Part 2 One of the hottest topics these days in...
Hon. Lynne Elise Ellis
This is the twenty-ninth of our Court Times articles that highlight up close and...
Children Who Witness Violence
I once heard a judge compare her civil protection order docket to an emergency room—especially...
Introducing… The Guardianship Registry
With the help of funding from the Division of State Court Administration, Judge Susan...
Appellate Courts to Adopt Odyssey CMS
The Indiana Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and Tax Court have launched a plan to...
George B. Davis award and new staff at State Court Administration
Judge Richard Payne Receives George B. Davis Award Former Hancock Superior Court...
More Posts From Columns
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