UPDATE: Committee tweaking St. Joe judges bill
A legislative conference committee is debating what changes might be possible for a bill aimed at scrapping merit selection for St. Joseph Superior judges.
Judicial retention
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House passes St. Joseph judicial election bill
In a historically notable vote, the Indiana House of Representatives passed a bill that would elect St. Joseph Superior judges rather than stick with a merit-selection and retention system in place for 35 years.
Senate OKs COA panel, St. Joe judge elections
The full Senate voted today in support of legislation scrapping the St. Joseph Superior judge merit-selection system for judicial elections, and also creating a new panel for the Indiana Court of Appeals.
No vote yet on St. Joe judges bill
An Indiana Senate committee debated this morning a bill that would make it so St. Joseph Superior judges are elected rather than chosen by merit selection and later retained by voters.
Indiana attorney fights Alaska’s merit selection
A Terre Haute attorney has filed a federal suit challenging the merit-selection system in Alaska, arguing the state bar association has unconstitutional control over the judicial nominating commission and takes away the people's right to choose their judges.
Governor likely to soon get St. Joe judges bill
Gov. Mitch Daniels will likely receive legislation today aimed primarily at scrapping judicial merit selection in St. Joseph County and creating a new Indiana Court of Appeals panel starting 2011.
Judicial merit-selection override a possibility
The state's top executive has rejected the idea of scrapping merit selection in St. Joseph County, but it remains unclear whether lawmakers will attempt to override that veto during a special session.
Senate gets St. Joe judges bill, with twist
The full Indiana Senate will consider in the next week whether St. Joseph Superior judges should be elected or merit-selected and retained by voters. A Senate committee wants the full legislative body to consider that issue, but with a twist: An amendment has been attached to the controversial House Bill 1491.
Governor gets judicial merit-selection bill
Gov. Mitch Daniels received today legislation that, if signed, would toss out merit selection and retention of St. Joseph Superior judges and also create a new three-judge panel for the Indiana Court of Appeals.
Judiciary announces court reforms
he Indiana Judicial Conference unveiled its "roadmap for the future" today for the Indiana courts, which included consolidating courts and creating a uniform system to select trial judges.
St. Joseph Bar evaluates judges
The St. Joseph County Bar Association has released the results of its 2009 survey evaluating Superior Court judges. This is the second time the bar association has completed and published this survey.
EBA members affirm all judicial candidates
The Evansville Bar Association has released the results of the survey of its members regarding the retention of three Vanderburgh Superior judges running for re-election in November.
ISBA members approve judges up for retention
The five Indiana judges up for retention this November have received overwhelming support from Indiana State Bar Association members. The ISBA poll shows no judge or justice received less than 83 percent of "yes" votes for retention.
St. Joseph Bar releases judicial evaluation
St. Joseph County Bar Association members have evaluated the five St. Joseph Superior judges up for retention this year – Judges Roland W. Chamblee Jr., David C. Chapleau, Jerome Frese, Jenny Pitts Manier, John M. Marnocha, Jane Woodward Miller, and Michael P. Scopelitis. All of the judges received a combined average score of either average/acceptable or above average.
Bar wants merit-based selection extended
The Lake County Bar Association will send a delegation to Friday's Commission on Courts meeting to endorse the adoption of legislation that would support merit-based selection of judges to the County Courts Division.