Rule amendment: 5 municipal courts abolished in 2023, 1 reestablished in 2024
Five municipal courts were abolished in 2023 and one was reestablished in 2024, according to a Thursday order from the Indiana Supreme Court.
Indiana Public Defender council
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Closing the gap?: New law clears up ‘black hole’ between adult, juvenile courts
A new law should erase a “jurisdictional gap” that has allowed people who commit offenses before their 18th birthday to essentially avoid legal consequences as long as charges weren’t filed until after they turned 21.
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‘Blanket’ refusal, blanket solution? ‘Noncompliant prosecutor’ bills likely returning in 2023 session
At the conclusion of the 60-minute meeting at the Indiana Statehouse, members of the Prosecutorial Oversight Task Force reached no consensus on how to handle prosecutors who “blanketly” refuse to prosecute certain crimes.
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Web Exclusive: Study committee tackling juvenile justice, appointed counsel, human trafficking
With the 2022 Indiana legislative session approaching, members of the Indiana General Assembly are taking a deeper dive into issues facing the justice system.
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Web Exclusive: COA considering legislation limiting child sex abuse victim depositions
A one-year-old law is before the Indiana Court of Appeals, which is considering whether the Legislature properly placed restrictions on when defense attorneys can take a deposition of a minor child alleged to be a victim of a sex crime.
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Articles
State lawmaker panel weighs solutions to Indiana’s lawyer shortage
Indiana’s legal community is raising alarms about a statewide shortage of attorneys that has already led to barren courtrooms leaving hundreds of Hoosiers unrepresented.
Felts becomes ISBA president, legal leaders provide updates at assembly meeting
Friday marked a historic moment for the Indiana State Bar Association as the bar inducted its first president who is also concurrently a judge and heard from legal leaders from across the state about updates in the Indiana legal profession.
Summit looks to address rural needs, challenges: Legal, public health issues at forefront of Wabash conference
The 2023 Summit for Rural Justice and Public Health Professionals will feature 26 speakers, including Indiana Supreme Court Justice Christopher Goff, who serves as the chair of Indiana’s Justice Reinvestment Advisory Council.
Misdemeanor funding coming back to defenders? Public defender offices hoping for restoration of misdemeanor reimbursement funding
As staff shortages collide with overflowing caseloads, chief public defenders around the state are keeping a close eye on new funding proposed by Gov. Eric Holcomb that would reimburse public defender offices for handling misdemeanor cases.
Bill to give caregivers representation in CHINS cases passes IN Senate committee
The Indiana Senate Judiciary Committee amended and passed a bill unanimously Wednesday afternoon that would entitle caregivers to legal representation in children in need of services cases.
Proposals limiting right to bail, home detention advance to Senate chamber
Indiana lawmakers went tough on crime Tuesday when a committee advanced a constitutional change restricting the right to bail and moved a less controversial bill barring people with more severe convictions from participating in community corrections programs.
Lawmakers: Giving AG power over prosecutors ‘least preferred’ route in dispute
A bipartisan group of lawmakers and justice system leaders that assembled on Thursday to consider how best to address county prosecutors with “blanket” nonprosecution policies agreed that handing authority to Indiana’s attorney general isn’t the route to go.
Food and fun part of reunification celebration: 3rd annual event gives families sustenance, emotional boost
By midmorning on a sunny June 24, the tents were pitched around the parking lot located on the east side of Indianapolis, the folding tables were overloaded with food and household items, and dance music was thumping from the DJ’s sound system. The work was being done as part of the Reunification Month Community Event in Indianapolis, which celebrates the parents who have been able to overcome their struggles and regain custody of their children.
Indiana Public Defender Council offering juvenile competency training as part of juvenile justice reform efforts
The Indiana Public Defender Council is offering training next month on juvenile competency assessment and attainment programming as part of a collective effort to reform the Hoosier State’s juvenile justice system.
Bill allowing Level 6 offenders to go to DOC heads to full Indiana Senate
A bill that would roll back a major provision of Indiana criminal justice reform legislation is headed for the full Indiana Senate, but concerns still linger over whether the state is doing its part to provide treatment to criminal offenders with mental illnesses and addictions.
Senate committee advances bill giving intervention rights to ‘kinship caregivers’
The Indiana Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 410 on Wednesday, a measure designed to give “kinship caregivers” the right to intervene in termination of parental rights cases.
Swifter justice: AI management software for public defenders tackles media evidence faster, more efficiently
JusticeText, a cloud-based platform, is an artificial intelligence tool that pinpoints specific words or phrases from data revealed in body camera footage and recorded jail calls, eliminating the need for defense attorneys to sit for hours plucking through evidence.
Justices reappoint Tippecanoe Co. judge to Public Defender Commission
The Indiana Supreme Court has reappointed Tippecanoe Superior Court 2 Judge Steven P. Meyer to serve on the Indiana Public Defender Commission.
Teen sentenced to life without parole wins resentencing
A man convicted as a teen of murdering his 10-year-old brother will get a new sentencing hearing after the Indiana Court of Appeals found his representation “wholly deficient” at his first sentencing hearing that led to his sentence to life without parole.
Bill challenging ‘noncompliant’ prosecutors advances without prosecutors’ support
A bill that would allow the Indiana attorney general to step in if local elected prosecutors decline to file criminal charges narrowly passed a Senate committee Tuesday without the support of public defenders or Indiana prosecutors. A longtime advocate said when both sides in criminal matters oppose legislation, lawmakers should take notice.
Bill protecting Indiana public monuments advances out of Senate committee
After the protests this summer that led to the destruction or defacement of monuments nationwide, a bill designed to protect Indiana’s historical markers is advancing in the Indiana Legislature.
ISBA section calls for nonviolent sentencing reforms
More than six years after sweeping criminal code reforms were enacted in Indiana, a section of the Indiana State Bar Association is calling for additional sentencing reforms to establish parity with those who received longer sentences before the reforms were enacted.
Public defender report underscores need for additional resources
The Indiana Public Defender Commission last month released an analysis of caseloads in Indiana, showing disparities between actual and ideal workloads. That data has led public defense experts to one conclusion: there’s still work to be done to ensure indigent Hoosiers receive quality defense.
Study: Public defenders get $5.16 an hour after overhead
A study by the Indiana Public Defender Commission is highlighting what officials say is a flawed system that encourages contract public defenders to increase their private caseload to cover their overhead costs, which eat the bulk of the compensation they receive for representing indigent defendants.