Courts and Volunteer Adult Guardianship Programs and Projects
February 7, 2014 by David J. Remondini
At any given time in Indiana, a number of indigent adults who can no longer manage their own affairs enter the court system. Many are looked after by a small but dedicated cadre of people who donate their time.
In a bid to swell the number of volunteer guardians, the Indiana General Assembly provided $500,000 [...]
2014 State of the Judiciary
February 7, 2014 by Editor
Chief Justice Brent E. Dickson presented the status of the courts in his 2014 State of the Judiciary speech delivered to a Joint Session of the Indiana General Assembly. He thanked the members of the Legislative and Executive branches for their cooperation and partnership in many areas of mutual concern and recognized the achievements [...]
Facilitation: A Win-Win for Courts and Unrepresented Litigants
February 7, 2014 by Leslie Dunn
More and more litigants in family law cases are appearing in Indiana’s courts without the assistance of lawyers. Whether this phenomenon is due to economic reasons, the proliferation of self-service information on the Internet, or other factors, the fact remains that these unrepresented litigants need assistance in completing pleading, filing them, preparing for court [...]
Court Reform Grant Recipients
February 7, 2014 by Elizabeth Daulton
Over the last several years, state trial courts throughout the country have faced the dual problems of fluctuating caseloads and declining court funding. Indiana’s trial courts have risen to this challenge to do more with less, and have frequently looked for innovative ways by which to fill their budget gaps.
One of these ways is [...]
EPICS: Effective Practices in Community Supervision
February 7, 2014 by Hon. Michael J. Kramer
When a person is placed on probation, there is an opportunity to enhance public safety by helping change the probationer’s behavior so that he does not commit more crimes. All too often, we miss that opportunity. Sometimes our failure is due to a lack of knowledge about how to affect change. Sometimes [...]
Press Examine Court Reports
February 7, 2014 by Brittany Babbitt
With 1.6 million new cases filed in Indiana trial courts and the launch of a new website that allows court statistics to be compared, there was plenty to talk about at a recent press conference.
Statewide media gathered in the Supreme Court Law Library on November 4th to review several reports released by the Supreme Court. [...]
Our Children’s Potential
October 28, 2013 by Editor
At a recent conference, judges from across the state were treated to a first-rate performance by the Fort Wayne Voices of Unity Youth Choir. The remarkable poise and professional sound of the young choir led the judges to a standing ovation.
The majority of this special edition of Indiana Court Times focuses on children in [...]
Indiana Juvenile Case Data
October 28, 2013 by Editor
For over thirty-eight years, Indiana’s courts have diligently reported information about their caseloads, their finances, and the services they provide, such as probation, guardian ad litem advocates, and court interpreters. The following tables comprise state-wide juvenile data compiled from detailed reports filed by every court in the state and published in an annual Judicial [...]
CHINS UP: New tools to measure milestones in child welfare cases
October 28, 2013 by Elana Salzman
In dependency cases, “a child’s sense of time is extremely important.” Allen Superior Court, Family Relations Division, Judge Charles Pratt emphasized this in a recent training on the new CHINS (Child in Need of Services) Timeliness Measures. Juvenile judges must be conscious of how court performance, including delays, affects children in their [...]
Indiana Criminal Justice Institute Receives Report on Juvenile Disproportionate Minority Contact
October 28, 2013 by Editor
The following is excerpted from the EXECUTIVE SUMMARY of a report submitted to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute by Chrystal A. Garcia, PhD and G. Roger Jarjoura, PhD, Associate Professors of Criminal Justice, Law and Public Safety, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis and Kathy Lisby, Senior Policy Analyst, Center [...]
