On the Way to Something Better
February 6, 2012 by Editor
On Jan. 11, 2012, Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard delivered his 25th and final State of the Judiciary address to a Joint Session of the Indiana General Assembly. An excerpted version follows. The State of the Judiciary was broadcast to a statewide audience over the Internet and on radio and television through Indiana Public [...]
Passing Lady Justice’s Scales (Not to mention her books and papers)
February 6, 2012 by James R. Walker , James R. Walker
In the story Brigadoon, a mythical Scottish village appears for one day every hundred years. Indiana’s city and town courts may come into existence, or disappear, once every four years.
Ind. Code § 33-35-1-1(a) permits a second or third class city or a town to establish or abolish a city or town court by ordinance every [...]
2010 Trial Court Statistics
February 6, 2012 by Editor
New filings in Indiana trial courts remain just below the two million mark. The number of newly filed cases is just one statistic available in the 1,782 page, multi-volume report, which includes everything from crucial information on court operations to interesting facts about the judicial branch.
The report can be found online at http://courts.in.gov/admin/2865.htm.
The Judicial [...]
JLAP Volunteer Awarded Recovery Advocate of the Year
February 6, 2012 by Editor
Kimberly A. Jackson, Chair of the Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program (JLAP) Committee, received the Recovery Advocate of the Year Award. Jackson was honored for her dedication to JLAP and its mission to help lawyers and judges struggling with addiction and mental health, physical or age-related problems. The award was given by the Indiana [...]
Courts Organizations and ABA Approve New Model Time Standards for State Trial Courts
February 6, 2012 by Doyal McLemore
Time standards for trial courts in some form have been around since Lyndon Johnson was in the White House when the American Bar Association first adopted speedy trial standards for criminal cases. But a recent report has put them in the spotlight again.
In August 2011, the Conference of Chief Justices, the Conference of State [...]
Authorization Required: Restricting Access to Criminal History Information
October 31, 2011 by James R. Walker
The Indiana General Assembly passed Public Law 194-2011 (HEA 1211) earlier this year allowing individuals to petition courts to restrict access to certain criminal records. This law creates two new proceedings by amending Indiana Code Title 35, Criminal Law and Procedure, Article 38, Proceedings Following Dismissal, Verdict or Finding. It allows a person [...]
Jefferson County Courthouse Rededicated Two Years after Three-Alarm Fire
October 31, 2011 by Elizabeth Daulton
On a sunny day in downtown Madison, just two years after a fire nearly destroyed the historic Jefferson County Courthouse, a group of dignitaries, veterans, first responders, media, and local residents gathered to witness the courthouse rededication ceremony.
“The courthouse has been restored to its rightful place as the center of law and government,” remarked Jefferson [...]
Supreme Court and State Archives Working to Preserve Historic Indiana Cases
October 31, 2011 by Caitlin O'Rourke
A collaborative effort between the State Archives Division of the Indiana Commission on Public Records and the Indiana Supreme Court has resulted in the cleaning, preservation, cataloging and posting in a database on the Internet, of approximately 31,000 Indiana Supreme Court cases dating from 1791 to 1878. Ultimately, this project will encompass every decided [...]
Indiana Journalists Learn About the Courts
October 31, 2011 by Kathryn Dolan
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 [...]
Judgment Docket Task Force
October 31, 2011 by Jeffrey Wiese
A high profile working group has been formed to review the laws and rules involving one of the most critical records in Indiana’s judicial system—the judgment docket. The judgment docket serves as notice to all interested parties that a judgment exists and is a lien on the real property of the defendant.
The use of [...]
