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Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush highlighted the work done by the state’s highest court this past year and how it maintains transparency while also respecting the right to privacy, as she unveiled the court’s 2024-25 annual report at the statehouse.
The report and discussion offers a glimpse at how the supreme court’s justices work through cases and write opinions. This year, the annual report includes a new feature, a summary of the court’s case work over the past fiscal year.
In total, the state’s high court issued 50 opinions, including two capital post-conviction relief cases for death row inmates Joseph Corcoran and Benjamin Ritchie.
This past fiscal year, the supreme court’s Disciplinary Commission received 1,639 complaints against attorneys from the public and, after review, dismissed 1,535 as having no valid issue of misconduct.
In addition, the court’s Judicial Qualifications Commission had 941 total complaints brought before it (including 168 pending complaints from last year and 773 new complaints) regarding alleged judicial misconduct. Of the judicial complaints, 755 were dismissed.
The Indiana Supreme Court does not release information on attorney and judicial disciplinary cases until the judicial commission files an order.
When asked if the court should publish disciplinary complaints before the commission has decided on them, Rush said several of the complaints get dismissed because there are no grounds for them to stand on.
“I think it’s [transparency] important, but I think that every single little complaint, that it could really malign someone when there’s found to be baseless. So you’ve got to balance that,” she said.
The court continues to work for transparency and efficiency, Rush said, pointing to the 81 million page views tallied on Indiana’s MyCase electronic filing system this past year.
She said Indiana has a high-efficiently forward-facing electronic court filing system compared to states like Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan.
“What can you do now from your desk that you weren’t able to do from your desk before? Courts are open 24/7, we’re trying to become more and more forward facing with regard to making information available,” she said.
She also pointed to other steps the courts are taking to improve transparency, efficiency, and justice, like allowing cameras in courtrooms and how officials are determining how artificial intelligence can be wisely used to support the court’s services.
Rush also touched on her efforts to encourage funding for court security, which fell through in the legislature last year, amidst growing security threats to courtrooms and judges.
Looking ahead to the next fiscal year, Rush said one challenge the court is facing is the increase in insurance without a salary adjustment.
She said it’s important to make sure that despite the challenges, that court staff remains feeling valued in their positions, adding that one way they can do so is with the continued efforts of the Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program, which is welcoming new executive director Ashley Hart following the retirement of Terry Harrell.
“Making sure their well being and all our staff’s well being is just a big priority of the board,” Rush said.
The full annual report can be found online.
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