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A bill that would offer judicial officers more security in and out of the courtroom was passed by the Indiana Senate on Monday.
Senate Bill 291, authored by State Sen. Scott Baldwin, R-Noblesville, would replace the existing Supreme Court Sheriff model with a Supreme Court Marshal and Court of Appeals Marshal system.
“Indiana’s judges must be able to carry out their constitutional responsibilities without fear, intimidation and disruption,” Baldwin said in a written statement. “The recent tragic shooting of Judge Steve Meyer and his wife at their home emphasizes the need to address court security and modernize how we protect our judicial officials.”
According to the bill, marshals would be appointed by the state Supreme Court and Indiana Court of Appeals and would be authorized to hire deputy marshals to serve the Chief Justice or the Chief Judge.
Marshals serving under the new model would be tasked with the following duties:
- protecting justices, judges, court staff, court facilities and judicial residences;
- providing security guidance to trial courts across the state;
- coordinating security for court-related events across the state; and
- acting as liaisons between the courts and law enforcement.
The marshals would be allowed to carry weapons and temporarily detain individuals related to pressing court security threats but would not be allowed to respond to unrelated local emergencies. The marshals would be required to defer any arrests or criminal processing to law enforcement agencies.
In a written statement shared with The Indiana Lawyer on Tuesday, members of the Indiana Supreme Court said judges’ safety concerns “have never been higher.”
“SB 291 will help minimize threats to the safety of all Indiana Judges and their families,” they said. “It will also modernize our court security statute to reflect what our appellate court security professionals do to keep us safe.”
The legislation comes under consideration as Judge Meyer and his wife are recovering after being shot at their home on Jan. 18. Five people have been arrested in connection with the shooting, including the alleged shooter himself, who police said has close ties to a gang member who was scheduled to stand trial before Meyer two days before the shooting.
On behalf of the state Court of Appeals, Chief Judge Elizabeth Tavitas said a strong judiciary depends, in part, on “the ability of judges to serve without fear or distraction.”
“Judicial security is about preserving the integrity of our courts so judges can focus fully on delivering justice to the people of Indiana,” she said. “When we safeguard those entrusted with upholding the law, we strengthen trust in our institutions and reaffirm our shared commitment to keeping our communities safe.”
The bill would also protect certain personal information from being made available by a public agency. Under the bill, both current and retired judicial officers could file a request to keep certain personal information, such as their address or campaign finance reports, from being released to the public.
The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives. If signed into law, the bill would go into effect on July 1, 2026.
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