Eliminating judges’ mandatory retirement to get hearing

A bill to eliminate mandatory retirement at age 75 for Indiana Supreme Court justices and Court of Appeals judges will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

Senate Bill 124 removes the language requiring retirement at 75 and makes no other changes. The bill would not apply to current members of the courts; Article 7, Section 11 of the Indiana Constitution states: “Every such justice and judge shall retire at the age specified by statute in effect at the commencement of his current term.”

The committee also will hear:

• Police text message searches: SB 156 would prohibit a police officer from taking information from a cell phone and retaining it as evidence pending trial for a violation of the law concerning typing, transmitting, or reading a text message while operating a motor vehicle without a warrant or probable cause to believe that the device was used to commit a crime;
• Felon DNA database: SB 245 would require people arrested on a felony charge to submit a DNA sample for the Indiana DNA database. The bill provides for the expungement of a DNA sample for people cleared of felony charges;
• Deputy AGs in D.C.: SB 36 would allow the attorney general to employ deputies in Washington, D.C., to monitor federal legislation and for other purposes; and
• Judicial nominating: SB 103 would provide that the nonattorney members of the Judicial Nominating Commission be appointed by the governor from a list of recommended candidates submitted by House and Senate leaders of both parties. Those appointments currently are made by the governor alone. SB 103 also would reduce the time allowed a governor to appoint a Supreme Court justice or Court of Appeals judge from 60 days to 30 days.

The committee will meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Room 130 of the Statehouse.