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| Indiana Court Records- Listed below is contact information and/or links to websites containing resources to help in a search for Indiana court records. | |||
| Indiana State and County Court Records, and Court Systems | |||
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A state with both far-flung rural communities and major cities such as Indianapolis, population nearly 800,000, the state of Indiana requires an extensive and flexible court system to match. The state is good at relating that court system to its people via the World Wide Web, however, with its detailed, easy to use, information-filled sites. The Indiana Supreme Court Web site, in fact, was named the best court Web site in the country for 2006 by the National Center for State Courts. Indiana's Supreme Court The Indiana Supreme Court features a smaller bench than many supreme courts. It has only five justices, four associates and a chief, with the latter role presently held by Randall T. Shepard. Justices are appointed to the bench by the governor after nomination by a judicial nominating commission. After an initial two-year term, an Indiana Supreme Court justice faces a yes-or-no retention vote by the public which, if successful, earns them another 10 years on the bench. The Supreme Court is the state’s highest appellate court, with the power to review and revise sentences and decisions imposed by lower courts. It has original exclusive jurisdiction in cases of admission to the Indiana bar, discipline of attorneys in the state, unauthorized practice of law, discipline or removal of a judge, supervision of lower courts, issuance of writs necessary in aid of its own jurisdiction, all death sentence appeals and requests for post-conviction relief in death-penalty cases, and cases eligible for appeal in which a state or federal law has been deemed unconstitutional by a lower court. The justices also have original jurisdiction, on petition, in cases involving substantial questions of law, great public importance, or emergency. The Supreme Court’s Web site includes links to its oral argument calendar, oral arguments online in Real Media format, judicial opinions and Supreme Court orders. There’s also a handy link of contact information for the court and its officers. Indiana's Court of Appeals Indiana’s Court of Appeals divides the state into five districts. Each district has three judges, one of whom is selected by his or her peers as the presiding judge. From the 15 Court of Appeals judges statewide, one is chosen by the group to serve as chief judge for the state. That person presently is Chief Judge John G. Baker. Judges of the Court of Appeals are appointed by the governor after nomination by a judicial nominating committee. Like Supreme Court justices, they serve a two-year term before facing re-election on a yes/no vote, which, if successful, earns them another 10 years on the bench. Judges in Indiana must retire at age 75. The court has no original jurisdiction, except as authorized by the Supreme Court to review directly the final decisions of certain administrative agencies outside the court system. It instead has jurisdiction over all appeals not taken directly to the Supreme Court. Information is readily available at the court’s Web site, including a calendar of oral arguments, an interactive map and calendar of traveling oral arguments, and some oral arguments are available via Webcast. The court’s docket is available and searchable online, as are its opinions once a case is heard and decided. Indiana's Probate Court There is now but one distinctly probate court in Indiana -- the St. Joseph Probate Court. Its lone judge, currently Peter J. Nemeth, is elected by county voters to a six-year term, and has original jurisdiction in all matters pertaining to the probate of wills, appointment of guardians, assignees, executors, administrators and trustees, settlement of incompetents’ estates and adoptions. Indiana's County Courts Indiana county courts began operation on Jan. 1, 1976, when the state’s Justice of the Peace Court system was abolished. Since establishment of county courts, there has been a steady restructuring of the venue into superior courts with small claims and misdemeanor divisions. Since 1976, most county courts have been converted to Superior Court. Only Floyd, Madison and Montgomery counties still maintain the original-style county court systems established in 1976. A county court has four judges, who maintain original and concurrent jurisdiction over a number of matters. The judges are elected by voters in the county or counties they serve, to terms of six years. County Court judges hear contract disputes, tort cases (such as personal injury suits resulting from a car accident), landlord/tenant cases where the amount disputed is $10,000 or less, Class D felonies, misdemeanors and minor infractions, violations of local ordinance, and small claims. Indiana's County Superior Courts Presently there are 193 county superior court judges in the state of Indiana, who serve in organizations that can vary from county to county. Superior Court has appellate jurisdiction over city and town courts and general jurisdiction over nearly all civil and criminal proceedings. These courts have original and concurrent jurisdiction in all civil cases founded in contract or tort, where the damages do not exceed $10,000. They also have jurisdiction over possessory actions between landlord and tenant, and all actions for possession of property with value of $10,000 or less. Criminal jurisdictions include Class D felonies, misdemeanor and minor infraction cases, and violations of local ordinances. Superior courts in the state also have small claims dockets. The majority of Indiana trial courts are superior courts and nearly all Indiana counties have a Superior Court in addition to their circuit courts. With the exception of four counties, Superior Court judges are elected to six-year terms by vote of the public. In Lake and St. Joseph counties, the judges are nominated by local nominating commissions and then appointed by the governor to six-year terms, after which they run for retention on a yes-or-no ballot. Judges of Vanderburgh Superior Court are elected on nonpartisan ballots. And, in Allen County, Superior Court judges are elected without party designation on a separate ballot during general elections, but vacancies can be filled by the governor from a list of three candidates nominated by the Allen County Judicial Nominating Commission. Indiana's County Circuit Court Out of 92 Indiana counties, 88 have their own circuit courts, while the remaining four counties are in two “joint” circuits of two counties each. The Circuit Court system has about 102 judges. Circuit courts have unlimited trial jurisdiction over all cases, except when exclusive or concurrent jurisdiction has been conferred by law upon other courts. They also have appellate jurisdiction over appeals from city and town courts. Judges of the circuit courts are elected every six years in a partisan contest by voters in the circuit, with the exception of Vanderburgh Superior Court, where the judge is elected on a nonpartisan ballot. Indiana's Small Claims Court Only Marion County has a distinct Small Claims Court. The court has nine divisions, with jurisdiction only within the township in which it is located. That jurisdiction is concurrent with circuit and superior courts in the county. Small Claims Court judges are elected by the voters within the township in which the division court is located. Judges serve four-year terms. Indiana City Courts As of December 2000, the state of Indiana contained 48 city courts. The jurisdiction of these courts varies depending upon the size of the city. All city courts have jurisdiction over violation of their own city ordinances, misdemeanors and other minor infractions. City Court judges are elected to four-year terms by voters in the city. Indiana Town Courts As of December 2000, there were 27 town courts in Indiana. The courts have exclusive jurisdiction over all violations of town ordinances and also hold jurisdiction over misdemeanors and minor infractions committed in town. Town Court judges are elected to four-year terms by voters in the towns they serve. Indiana's Tax Court Indiana maintains a single Tax Court in Indianapolis, although a taxpayer may elect to have all evidentiary hearings conducted in one of seven other specifically designated counties within the state. One judge, presently Thomas G. Fisher, presides over Indiana Tax Court. The Tax Court judge is appointed by the governor after nomination by a judicial nominating commission. Like other judges appointed in this manner, the Tax Court judge serves for two years, then must run for re-election on a yes/no retention ballot. If successful, he or she will serve another 10 years. Tax Court has exclusive jurisdiction in original tax appeals, which are defined as cases that arise under the tax laws of Indiana and which are initial appeals of a final determination made by the Department of State Revenue of the State Board of Tax Commissioners. Any appeal from Tax Court is taken directly to the Supreme Court. Emerging Courts in Indiana Indiana’s evolving court system also includes some newer venues, including Drug Court and Family Court. The latter was introduced as a project in 1999, and is a cooperative effort between the General Assembly and the Indiana Supreme Court that is intended to better serve the many children and families who find themselves enmeshed in the Indiana court system. At this writing, there are 23 family courts in Indiana. |
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| Online Access to Indiana's Court Web Sites | |||
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Marion County Circuit and Superior Courts Northern District of Indiana - United States District Court Southern District of Indiana - US District Court United States Bankruptcy Court - Southern District of Indiana US Bankruptcy Court - Northern District of Indiana United States Probation Office - Southern District of Indiana - Officer list, retrial services and district offices. Indiana Judicial Opinions - Search current and archived opinions for the Indiana Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and Tax Court. Indiana Court of Appeals - Search Court of Appeals archived cases and opinions. Indiana Tax Court - Search archived tax court opinions and cases. Indiana Supreme Court Law Library - Search the law library catalog, judicial opinions and court archives. Indiana Child Support Calculator - Tools for calculating child support obligation and search required child support forms. |
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| Indiana's County Courthouses, Phone Numbers and Addresses | |||
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