To allow time for counties to amend their local rules to conform with Indiana Administrative Rule 3 regarding the selection of special judges, the Indiana Supreme Court has issued an order establishing temporary procedures for selecting these judges.

An amendment to Indiana Administrative Rule 3, which created new administrative districts and divided Indiana into 26 districts, became effective Jan. 1. The amendment sets forth how special judges should be selected. In the past, this selection was made based on local rules formulated under the old administrative districts. The amendment has made some of the local rules unworkable.

As a result, the Supreme Court is authorizing the selection of special judges under existing local rules until July 1 in order to make the transition easier from the old administrative districts to the new ones. Courts also need to amend their local rules to accommodate the new administrative districts by July 1.

The order is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2011.