By Adrienne Meiring, Counsel | Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications Juror communications can present interesting challenges for trial court judges. As court outsiders, jurors understandably have questions and concerns that arise during trial and look to the judge for answers. Judges bear tremendous responsibility at these times to preserve a defendant’s constitutional rights and to avoid […]
Columns
Open data: Demographics in traffic stops available online
By Mary L. DePrez, Director & Counsel | Trial Court Technology Beginning in 2008, Trial Court Technology (TCT) partnered with the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) and developed e-ticketing software for use by law enforcement agencies throughout the state. Benefits of Indiana’s Electronic Ticketing System Eliminates handwritten tickets and the need to enter the same […]
Honorable Lisa M. Bowen-Slaven
By James F. Maguire, Editor | Indiana Court Times This is the forty-ninth of our Court Times articles that highlight a member of the Indiana Judiciary. LaGrange Superior Court Judge Lisa Bowen-Slaven graduated from Purdue University in December of 1989 and obtained a law degree from Valparaiso University School of Law in 1993. Following law […]
Two Beers…
By Hon. Earl G. Penrod, Senior Judge & Indiana Judicial Outreach Liasion | Indiana Criminal Justice Institute “Not drunk is he who from the floor can rise alone and still drink more…” —Thomas Love Peacock Judges who preside over impaired driving cases quickly learn that the most common number of beers/drinks consumed by drunk driving defendants […]
Portraits unveiling, New agency director, Judicial appointments and other highlights
Portraits unveiling On April 16, a brief ceremony took place to unveil a new look for the Supreme Court Conference Room. The Indiana Bar Foundation gifted to the Court a painting of former Chief Justice Brent Dickson (1986-2016) by northwest Indiana artist Michael Chelich. Additionally, photographs of former Justices Robert Rucker (1999-2017) and Myra Selby […]
Breaking Through Barriers: Language Access for Crime Victims
By Lisa Manning | Family Violence Resource Attorney, Indiana Office of Court Services and Lun Pieper | Staff Attorney, Indiana Office of Court Services As our population continues to diversify, judges encounter an increased demand to provide language access in criminal court proceedings. Although the obligation to provide court interpretation for defendants may be readily […]
Court Text Messaging Alerts and Reminders
By: Mary L. DePrez | Director and Counsel for Trial Court Technology, Office of Judicial Administration Text messaging has become an important tool for judges who continue to look for ways to improve customer service and bring the courts into the 21st century. Victim Safety Trial courts began using text reminders in April 2011. At […]
Honorable Dean A. Colvin
By James F. Maguire | Editor, Indiana Court Times This is the 48th of our Court Times articles that highlights a member of the Indiana Judiciary. Marshall Superior Court No. 2 Judge Dean Colvin graduated from Indiana University at its South Bend campus in 1978 and obtained his law degree from Valparaiso University School of […]
Judiciary highlights
Court family mourns loss The Honorable Amy C. Conner Cornell, Judge of the Wabash Superior Court, died February 19 after a difficult battle with cancer. She was 42 years old. Judge Cornell was a graduate of Purdue University, Indiana University Maurer School of Law, and Princeton Theological Seminary. Following law school, she served as a […]
Judicial Spotlight
Judicial appointments Judith Corcoran Benckart was appointed to the Monroe County Circuit Court, succeeding Judge Kenneth G. Todd, who retired in October 2018. She previously served as deputy prosecuting attorney for Monroe County. Benckart earned her Bachelor’s degree from Ball State University and her law degree from Indiana University McKinney School of Law. Magistrate Jennifer […]
