Media Orientation for St. Joseph County Press

When St. Joseph Circuit Court Judge Michael Gotsch recently welcomed members of the press into his courtroom, he said: “Come sit in the jury box, take the best seats in the room.” Judge Gotsch and Court Administrator Lisa Plencner organized an orientation for the press at the request of the local Law & Media [...]

US Supreme Court Chief Justice Bestows Honor on Indiana Judge John F. Surbeck, Jr.

Allen County Superior Court Criminal Division Judge John F. Surbeck, Jr. in November received one of the nation’s highest judicial awards. As the spotlight shone bright on Judge Surbeck, he used the moment to highlight the work of his colleagues on the bench. Indiana judges symbolically stood right next to Judge Surbeck as [...]

Indiana Journalists Learn About the Courts

The Indiana Supreme Court conducted its third annual Law School for Journalists on July 20th. Forty-five television, radio, newspaper and Internet journalists attended the one day “law school” that was held at the Indiana University School of Law–Indianapolis.

Randall T. Shepard, Chief Justice of Indiana, welcomed the journalists with remarks regarding the Indiana Supreme Court [...]

Susan Carpenter Retires as State Public Defender

After serving as the Public Defender of Indiana for nearly 30 years, Susan K. Carpenter retired in May. The Indiana Supreme Court appointed Ms. Carpenter to the position in 1981. When announcing Carpenter’s retirement, Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard praised her three-decade career and said, “As chief advocate for the rights of indigent [...]

State Public Defender Uses Videoconferencing to Reduce Costs and Improve Services

Videoconferencing equipment was installed at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility in Carlisle in partnership with the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) and the Indiana Office of Technology (IOT). The equipment resembles a pay phone and is designed specifically for correctional use. It features a video screen and camera (similar to a web cam) [...]

Clerk Penny Bogan

Penny Bogan has traveled all over the world, but there has been a career constant in her life—the Boone County Clerk’s Office. She started working in the office in 1986. The secret to her 25-year success is pretty simple—her philosophy revolves around the importance of teamwork. “We’re all working with the same [...]

No Permission Slip Needed

All travelers know the value of experiencing a new culture and a different way of life—even for a brief moment. Getting away can provide perspective. It’s the reason Tippecanoe Superior Court IV Judge Greg Donat arranges for his staff to take a trip to another county court a few times a year. [...]

Clerk Linda Phillips

To most people in Tippecanoe County, Linda Phillips is Clerk Phillips.  In her second term as the County Clerk she spends her days issuing marriage licenses, handling election matters and keeping track of the nearly 35,000 new cases filed each year in the county’s seven courts of record.  Few people realize Clerk Phillips is also [...]

Indiana Public Defender Goes Green

In Effort to Help Environment and Save Indiana Taxpayer Money—
The Office of the Public Defender of Indiana has been recognized as a Law Office Climate Challenge Partner by the American Bar Association (ABA).  Public Defender of Indiana, Susan Carpenter, explained, “We are pleased to be a part of a program that will help the environment [...]

Supreme Court Website Helps Courts Manage Self-Represented Litigants

Almost every trial judge knows that there is a growing number of litigants who represent themselves in court, either by choice or because they cannot afford to hire attorneys.  In 2008, more than 400,000 people represented themselves in Indiana trial courts.  Those individuals may go to court without the benefit of an attorney, but that [...]

Crossing Barriers

Newly sworn court interpreters ready to play their part in providing greater access to justice for non-English speakers
The capital city of Lima, Peru in South America, with its mild climate and population of around eight million people, is 3600 miles from central Indiana. But Massiel Krall, originally from Lima, was recently certified as an Indiana [...]

Lake County Juvenile Justice

The investigative series “Lake County Juvenile Justice” premiered on Saturday, July 4, 2009 on MSNBC.  In July 2008, the Indiana Supreme Court announced it was once again allowing documentary filmmaker Karen Grau to have access to the Lake County juvenile court.
Grau describes the series as a program that “explores where juvenile crime begins, how it [...]

100 Law Enforcement Agencies Now Use the eTicket System

Reaching the 100 mark is momentous for birthdays and businesses. Celebrations fitting for the occasion usually include parties and cakes along with speeches and pictures.  On June 8th, an unlikely guest of honor, traffic tickets, celebrated the triple digit number.  Getting a traffic ticket can lead a person to proclaim, “It was a bad day.” [...]

Renewed Commitment to Collaborate: Elkhart County Hosts Children Summit

When Elkhart County Juvenile Court leaders were looking for inspiration they knew where to turn—to a national championship football team, the Indianapolis Colts.  The Blue and White is known for its winning attitude on the field.  Elkhart Circuit Court Juvenile Division Magistrate Deborah Domine was looking for someone to inspire that same can-do spirit off [...]

3 Measures of Success for the Marion County Court System

The Marion County judges, with the help of key administrative and technology staff, have undertaken a process to measure court performance in order to ensure the effective and efficient use of court resources. Glenn Lawrence, Marion County Court Administrator, says the new performance evaluation system will allow judges to assess their court’s status and make [...]

2 Among Many: New Faces Joining the Ranks of Indiana Trial Judges

Editor’s Note: The election in November 2008 was unprecedented in Indiana for the number of new trial court judges assuming duties on the bench. This article focuses attention on just two of the new jurists in our state.
Kathleen Tighe Coriden is taking her place in the judiciary with other newly elected judges from across the [...]

Recession Hits Home: The Mortgage Foreclosure Crisis and Our Indiana Courts

The national mortgage crisis is hitting our state very hard.  In 2007 there were 43,804 mortgage foreclosure cases filed in Indiana trial courts, an increase of around 50% in the cases filed just five years ago.  The explosion of new cases is causing judges to rethink how they deal with the civil filings that have [...]

Exodus: As Indiana is Losing 642 Years of Judicial Experience, Words of Wisdom and Advice for New Judges

Fulton Circuit Court Judge Douglas B. Morton began his judicial career on January 1, 1979.  He had a typewriter in his office, rarely saw a pro se litigant in a family law case, can remember only two female judges attending the Indiana Judicial Conference, and his annual salary was $23,750.  It would be a gross [...]

Supreme Court Clerk Staff Move Back to State House Offices

Construction projects always cause some disruptions even in the best of cases, and sometimes they involve actual cases.  When the contractors began renovating the offices of the Clerk of the Supreme Court in the State House this summer the staff had to find a new home.  Lawyers continued to file appeals and the cases and [...]

Training the Front Lines

When someone comes into a courthouse looking for help, it’s usually the court or clerk’s office staff who leads them in the right direction.  It is court and clerk employees who get questions from self-represented litigants and tell the media where court records can be found.  Staff members are expected to be the front lines [...]