Primaries spotlight coming battles over state supreme courts
Voters in 32 states this year will cast ballots on state supreme court seats, which have become a magnet for spending by national interest groups.
Courts
Articles
Formal investiture ceremony scheduled Friday for Magistrate Judge Garcia
Magistrate Judge Mario Garcia of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, the first judge of Hispanic heritage to serve the Southern Indiana District, will be formally sworn in at 2 p.m. Friday at the Birch Bayh Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Indianapolis.
People behind the precedents: New book on Court of Appeals of Indiana tells stories of judges who have served
A new book documents the history of Indiana’s Court of Appeals by telling the story through the men and women who have served as judges. Just published this spring, the book, “The Court of Appeals of Indiana,” is a compilation of profiles of the roughly 120 judges who have sat on the appellate bench through its 131-year history.
Indiana task force releases final eviction report, makes 2 recommendations
Underscoring that money is the root cause of the state’s eviction problem, the Indiana Eviction Task Force has focused its final report on the federal rental assistance funding that is still available and has made recommendations for ways to educate and encourage tenants and landlords to access the financial help.
Marion Superior Court announces plans for move to new courthouse
After an almost four-month delay, Marion Superior Court will start operating out of the new Community Justice Campus on the east side of Indianapolis May 2.
Orbison recertified as senior judge
Marion Superior Senior Judge Carol Orbison has been recertified as a senior judge, according to a recertification notification from the Indiana Supreme Court
Deja vu as Bloomington battles a state law preventing annexation
After its second attempt to annex several neighboring areas was blocked by the Legislature, the city of Bloomington is challenging a change to another state law that prevents the municipality from the incorporating areas which are already connected to its sewer service.
Blame Trump? Jury hears that defense at Capitol riot trial
Mentions of Donald Trump have been rare at the first few trials for people charged with storming the U.S. Capitol, but that has changed: The latest Capitol riot defendant to go on trial is blaming his actions on the former president and his false claims about a stolen election.
Not wanting to wait for court, more people seeking mediation
More attorneys and their clients have been seeking mediation because of the backlog in the courts. Mediators explained they are seeing parties who want to get their disputes resolved but are not willing to wait for the courts’ calendars to clear.
7th Circuit: IN Legislature, not state, was employer of women who accused former AG Hill of groping
Three of the four women who accused former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill of groping them cannot sue the state under Title VII, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled, finding the legislative staffers were employed by the Indiana House and Senate, not the state itself.
Reversal: Man seeking to restore gun rights can proceed in state court
A man seeking to restore his right to possess a firearm following his conviction for battery against his wife can proceed with his restoration proceedings in state court after the Court of Appeals of Indiana overturned a finding that the man needed to take his case to federal court.
States look for solutions as fentanyl deaths keep rising
As the addiction and overdose crisis that has gripped the United States for two decades turns even deadlier, state governments are scrambling for ways to stem the destruction wrought by fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.
Letter to the editor: Marion Co. should reconsider closing family recovery court
Indianapolis attorney Andrea K. Marsh writes that she doesn’t understand why Marion Superior Court is terminating the Marion County Family Recovery Court 18 months before the grant funding for it would end.
3rd vacancy opening in Marion County Courts as Hawkins announces retirement
Marion Superior Judge Grant Hawkins, who has served more than 20 years on the bench, is retiring effective Sept. 30, becoming the third judge to leave the Marion County judiciary since December of last year.
Notable opinions by high court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson
Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Joe Biden’s nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, worked for seven years as a judge on the federal trial court in Washington, D.C., before Biden appointed her to the appeals court that meets in the same courthouse.
US courts see drop in filings, display strength in ‘trying times’ in 2021
Members of the United States judiciary in 2021 successfully endured a year fraught with challenges, according to a new report from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Judicial officers also saw significant drops in filings in 2021.
Marion County Courts’ transition to Community Justice Campus set to begin in April
Marion County Courts will begin to transition more than 200 employees to Indianapolis’ new Community Justice Campus next month after delays of the move-in process, the Marion Superior Court has announced.
Enhanced tech, security, court operations on display at Community Justice Campus
The timeline for moving more than 200 employees and court personnel to Indianapolis’ new Marion County Community Justice Campus has yet to be nailed down, but Marion Superior Court Judge Amy Jones told members of the media during an exclusive, one-time tour of the sleek new facility on Friday that a date will hopefully be set in the next two weeks.
Marion County courts change COVID policies as positivity rate drops
The Marion Circuit and Superior Courts have relaxed the COVID-19 public health requirements for individuals and employees entering any of their judicial facilities.
Dreyer: Pandemic positives: Confronting the bear
As COVID-19 numbers descend, we are left with a plethora of mixed feelings. Many are overwhelmed with joy and giddiness. Some are still numb and can’t feel anything — yet. And others are trying to make sense of the past two years and the lasting realities that lay ahead. Our courts and judges fit into the latter category.