Jones elected as presiding judge of Marion Superior Court
Marion Superior Judge Amy Jones has been selected as the next leader of the Marion Superior Courts Executive Committee.
Indiana Trial Courts
Articles
Supreme Court Innovation Initiative adds Civil Litigation Taskforce
The Indiana Supreme Court’s Innovation Initiative is expanding, with the court creating a third working group to address issues surrounding civil litigation.
New Indiana case code tracking evictions as data shows impact of moratoriums
A new code in Indiana’s case numbering system is enabling the courts, state agencies and other entities to track and tally the petitions filed for evictions. But fresh data tracking trends nationwide shows evictions in Indiana are far surpassing numbers of other states being studied.
Committee endorses new Hamilton County court, magistrates for 3 counties
Four Indiana counties are one step closer to adding judicial officers or a new court after winning the approval of a legislative committee.
Rush scraps live State of the Judiciary, will offer video message due to COVID-19
The annual State of the Judiciary address will not be delivered in person to the Indiana General Assembly this year due to COVID-19, the Indiana Supreme Court has announced. Instead, Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush will submit a written report and video message.
Senior judges appointed following judicial illness, death
Senior judges are presiding over trial courts in two northern Indiana counties due to judicial vacancies resulting from the death of a judge and another’s inability to serve due for health reasons.
Courts not seeking more funds in 2021
Given the economic toll the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on Indiana’s budget, the Indiana Supreme Court is not requesting additional funding in the next biennial budget that will be drafted during the 2021 Legislative session. Instead, the court is asking the General Assembly to keep funding steady and has reverted funds to the state through pandemic-related savings.
Despite tech, court reporters say they’re here to stay
Even as digital recording is grows, charged sentiment surrounds the use of artificial intelligence in court reporting, industry experts say. According to some, there’s a middle ground to be found: embracing technology to increase efficiency while also relying on humans for nuance.
CHINS filings stabilize after surge in recent years
Filings for child in need of services and termination of parental rights cases have swung in opposite directions in the past few years, according to statistics released recently by the Indiana Supreme Court.
Soshnick: The income conundrum in Indiana divorce law
One of the perplexing areas of Indiana divorce law is “income.” At first blush, that vexation seems out of place. Upon closer inspection, the confusion is understandable. Why? The reason is that there frequently are disputes as to whether payments are income or property in divorce cases.
Makris: Review of notable Indiana property division cases in 2020
In 2020, the Indiana Court of Appeals issued three notable decisions relating to the division of property in dissolution of marriage cases. From the interpretation of asset appreciation in premarital agreements to the admissibility of mediation evidence in actions to avoid or enforce a settlement agreement, the following are three cases that provide valuable takeaways for family law practitioners.
Justices urged to clear Putnam Co. prosecutor over undisclosed testimony deal
The elected Putnam County prosecutor should not be disciplined for accusations that he failed to disclose a deal for testimony from a witness who claimed he was wrongly identified, placing him in danger behind bars as a “snitch.” The hearing officer in Timothy Bookwalter’s attorney discipline case said the prosecutor violated no rules, should not be punished and urged the Indiana Supreme Court to re-examine the ethical duties of prosecutors.
Disciplinary Commission director Witte to retire
Longtime attorney discipline executive director G. Michael Witte will retire from his post, the Indiana Supreme Court has announced. Witte, a former trial court judge who has overseen the disciplinary commission for a decade, will step down next month.
Meth convictions upheld despite rewritten jury instructions
A trial court that rewrote the jury instructions offered by the Indiana Supreme Court proves everybody is an editor, but the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled the editing did not create an error that would overturn the defendant’s convictions.
Terre Haute man charged in killing of woman found dead in storage unit
A Terre Haute man has been charged in the slaying of a woman whose body was found last week in a storage unit where she had apparently been living with her alleged assailant.
Supreme Court amends trial procedure rules
Amendments have been made to Indiana Rules of Trial Procedure regarding child paternity cases, as well as e-filing processes and procedures for filing probate and guardianship cases, according to an order from the Indiana Supreme Court.
Man gets 115 years for killing Goshen professor, wounding wife
An Indiana man has been sentenced to 115 years in prison for fatally stabbing a Goshen College professor and leaving the man’s wife with nearly two dozen stab wounds during a home invasion in 2011.
Indiana courts’ minimum senior judge service days doubled for 2021
The minimum number of court senior judge service days for the upcoming year has been doubled from 15 to 30, and courts are encouraged to use senior judges to assist during the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Indiana Supreme Court announced in a Wednesday order.
Lawsuit alleges Purdue breached contract in Peru projects
Siblings who contacted Purdue University about helping to lower the alpaca mortality rate in their native Peru are now suing, claiming the West Lafayette school has garnered millions of dollars from additional projects they helped establish but is refusing to pay them for their work.
Justices reverse, remand denial of expungement petition
A trial court has been ordered to reconsider its decision to deny a man his petition for expungement of a crime he committed nearly 20 years ago after the Indiana Supreme Court found him to be eligible.