IL Staff

Attorneys who make civil filings are now paying for judicial salaries and future participation of magistrates in a state pension program.Civil filing fees increased slightly on July 1, raising the standard cost from $133 to $136 to pay for court administration and judicial salaries.The General Assembly increased the court administration fee from $3 to $5, and the judicial salaries fee went up from $17 to $18. Other fees remain unchanged.Some attorneys in Marion County have called the local clerk’s office to…

The Indiana Court of Appeals will hear arguments in a case regarding the state’s sex offender residency law March 31 at Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis.In State of Indiana v. Anthony W. Pollard, Pollard is a convicted sex offender who has lived for 20 years within 1,000 feet of a property where children could gather. He was charged for violating Indiana Code 35-42-4-11 and told that he could no longer live in his home. Pollard argues the law was…

The Marion Superior Court Family Resource Center – created by the Family Court Project for families with legal disputes – opens Monday and will offer easier access to information about legal and social services resources. The center will provide resources and referrals for various services such as domestic violence, protective orders, substance-abuse treatment options, and how to find an attorney. Residents filing pro se will be able to view videos that walk them through the self-representation process, as well as use…

Select portions of the 2006 and 2007 Indiana Code have been translated into Spanish, the Indiana Supreme Court has announced. An alphabetical index of terms and a glossary outlining topic areas also were translated. The goal of the translation is to better serve the Spanish-speaking population and those who represent them. By translating some of the basic codes, interpreters will be able to use the same terms for charges and it will create a standard document of legal terminology. The translations…

Gov. Mitch Daniels appointed a new Bluffton City Court judge Feb. 28, choosing a retired car dealership owner. Robert J. Bate succeeds Judge Gary Markley, who resigned Jan. 15.Bate was owner and president of Bob Bate Chevrolet Inc. in Ossian from 1979 to 2000. He was elected five times to serve on the Bluffton City Council between 1987 and 2007. Bate’s appointment is effective immediately.

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana has published the amendments made to its Local Rules. After considering the proposed amendments and comments received, changes have been made to several rules including Rule 5.1 – General Format of Documents Presented for Filing, Rule 56.1 – Summary Judgment Procedure, and Rule II – Discipline Imposed by Other Courts. To view all of the changes, visit the District Court’s Web site and click on the “Notice of Amendments to…