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Courts in Indiana
| More information on Indiana's state courts: |
|---|
| Selection methods Elections Salaries Federal courts |
In Indiana, there are two federal district courts, a state supreme court, a state court of appeals, and trial courts with both general and limited jurisdiction. These courts serve different purposes, which are outlined in the sections below.
Click a link for information about that court type.
The image below depicts the flow of cases through Indiana's state court system. Cases typically originate in the trial courts and can be appealed to courts higher up in the system.
Judicial selection process
- See also: Judicial selection in Indiana
The five justices of the Indiana Supreme Court and the 15 judges of the Indiana Court of Appeals are selected through the assisted appointment method. After their appointment, judges of the Indiana Supreme Court and Indiana Court of Appeals stand for retention at the first even-year, statewide general election after they have served two full years. Subsequent terms are 10 years. When a vacancy occurs on one of the courts, the Commission on Judicial Qualifications provides the names of three nominees to the governor, who must then select a judge from that list.[1][2]
The 318 judges of the Indiana Circuit Courts and the Indiana Superior Courts are generally chosen through partisan elections, though some exceptions exist. Judges are elected to six-year terms, after which they must run for re-election if they wish to serve additional terms. To learn more about these elections, visit the Indiana judicial elections page.[1][3]
To read more about judicial elections in Indiana, click here.
Federal courts
The federal district courts in Indiana are the:
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
Appeals go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit.[4]
Active judges
Northern district
| Judge | Appointed By | Assumed Office | Bachelors | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 27, 2003 - |
University of Iowa, 1984 |
Indiana University School of Law, 1987 |
||
| April 16, 2019 - |
Indiana University, Bloomington, 1991 |
Valparaiso University School of Law, 1994 |
||
| July 26, 2019 - |
Wabash College, 1994 |
Indiana University, Bloomington, Maurer School of Law, 1999 |
||
| January 26, 2024 - |
Valparaiso University, 2002 |
University of Notre Dame Law School, 2006 |
||
| January 29, 2024 - |
Butler University |
Valparaiso University |
The list below displays the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.
- Democratic appointed: 2
- Republican appointed: 3
Southern district
| Judge | Appointed By | Assumed Office | Bachelors | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 15, 2010 - |
Spelman College, 1981 |
Howard University School of Law, 1984 |
||
| September 13, 2018 - |
United States Naval Academy, 1983 |
University of Notre Dame Law School, 1996 |
||
| November 5, 2018 - |
DePauw University, 1992 |
Valparaiso University School of Law, 1996 |
||
| March 31, 2023 - |
DePauw University, 1990 |
University of Washington School of Law |
The list below displays the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.
- Democratic appointed: 2
- Republican appointed: 2
District map
Judicial selection
Judges who sit on the federal district courts are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate. These judges serve life terms. To read more about the judges on these courts, click here.
Bankruptcy courts
There are two federal bankruptcy courts in Indiana. These courts have subject-matter jurisdiction over bankruptcy cases. The federal bankruptcy courts in Indiana are:
- United States bankruptcy court, Northern District of Indiana
- United States bankruptcy court, Southern District of Indiana
State supreme court
- See also: Indiana Supreme Court
| Indiana Supreme Court |
|---|
|
| Court Information |
| Justices: 5 |
| Founded: 1816 |
| Location: Indianapolis |
| Salary |
| Associates: $221,024[5] |
| Judicial Selection |
| Method: Assisted appointment (Hybrid) |
| Term: 2 or 10 years[6] |
| Active justices |
| Christopher M. Goff, Mark S. Massa, Derek Molter, Loretta H. Rush, Geoffrey Slaughter |
Founded in 1816, the Indiana Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort and has five judgeships. The current chief of the court is Loretta H. Rush.
As of August 2021, all five judges on the court were appointed by a Republican governor.
The Indiana Supreme Court meets in Room 315 of the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.[7]
In Indiana, state supreme court justices are selected through assisted appointment with a hybrid judicial nominating commission. Justices are appointed by the governor with the assistance of a commission who has no majority of members selected either by the governor or the state Bar Association. There are 10 states that use this selection method. To read more about the assisted appointment of judges, click here.
The Indiana Supreme Court has no original jurisdiction in most cases; it reviews decisions of the Indiana Court of Appeals and the Indiana Tax Court. The court also has the power to review and revise sentences imposed by lower courts.[8][9]
The supreme court also has mandatory jurisdiction over the following types of cases:
- appeals where a person received a sentence of death or life in prison without the possibility for parole;
- appeals involving waiver of parental consent to abortion; and,
- appeals where a state trial court has declared a statute passed by the legislature is unconstitutional, meaning these cases are not first heard by an intermediate court, but instead proceed directly to the supreme court.[8][9]
The table below lists the current judges of the Indiana Supreme Court and the appointing governor.
| Office | Name | Party | Date assumed office | Appointed by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Supreme Court | Christopher M. Goff | Nonpartisan | July 24, 2017 | Eric Holcomb (R) |
| Indiana Supreme Court | Mark S. Massa | Nonpartisan | April 2, 2012 | Mitch Daniels (R) |
| Indiana Supreme Court | Derek Molter | Nonpartisan | September 1, 2022 | Eric Holcomb (R) |
| Indiana Supreme Court | Loretta H. Rush | Nonpartisan | November 7, 2012 | Mitch Daniels (R) |
| Indiana Supreme Court | Geoffrey Slaughter | Nonpartisan | June 13, 2016 | Mike Pence (R) |
State court of appeals
- See also: Indiana Court of Appeals
The Indiana Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court in the state. It hears appeals from the state's trial courts and some state agencies. The court's decisions are final unless the Indiana Supreme Court grants appellate review. The Court of Appeals hears cases in three-judge panels and each panel holds statewide state jurisdiction.[10]
The following judges sit on the court:
| Judge | Tenure | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
|
August 7, 2012 - Present |
Mitch Daniels |
|
|
April 9, 1998 - Present |
Gov. Frank O'Bannon (D) |
|
|
October 15, 2024 - Present |
Eric Holcomb |
|
|
January 30, 1998 - Present |
Gov. Frank O'Bannon (D) |
|
|
2020 - Present |
Eric Holcomb |
|
|
October 11, 2022 - Present |
Eric Holcomb |
|
|
July 19, 2018 - Present |
Eric Holcomb |
|
|
March 30, 2000 - Present |
Gov. Frank O'Bannon (D) |
|
|
January 8, 2025 - Present |
Eric Holcomb |
|
|
May 5, 2008 - Present |
Mitch Daniels |
|
|
February 7, 2000 - Present |
Gov. Frank O'Bannon (D) |
|
|
July 28, 2023 - Present |
Eric Holcomb |
|
|
August 31, 2015 - Present |
Mike Pence |
|
|
August 1, 2007 - Present |
Mitch Daniels |
|
|
January 17, 2023 - Present |
Eric Holcomb |
Tax court
- See also: Indiana Tax Court
The Tax Court holds exclusive jurisdiction over any case arising under the state's tax laws and that is an initial appeal of a final determination made by the Indiana Department of State Revenue or the Indiana Board of Tax Review. The court also holds jurisdiction over certain appeals from the Department of Local Government Finance.[3][11]
The following judge sits on the court:
| Judge | Tenure | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
|
September 1, 2023 - Present |
Eric Holcomb |
Trial courts
Indiana Circuit Courts
- See also: Indiana Circuit Courts
The Circuit Courts are trial courts of general jurisdiction in the state.[3]
Indiana Superior Courts
- See also: Indiana Superior Courts
The superior courts are also general jurisdiction trial courts within the state.[3]
St. Joseph County Probate Court, Indiana
- See also: St. Joseph County Probate Court, Indiana
There is one Probate Court in St. Joseph County. It is the only one of its kind in the state.[3]
Courts of limited jurisdiction
- The Indiana Municipal Courts are created by municipalities (cities and towns) and have jurisdiction over violations of city ordinances, misdemeanors, infractions, and traffic matters.[3]
- There is one Small Claims Court in Marion County. This is the only one of its kind in the state.[3]
In other states
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Indiana," accessed March 4, 2021
- ↑ Indiana Courts, "About the Commissions," accessed March 4, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Indiana Courts, "About the Judicial Branch: Structure of Indiana courts," accessed March 4, 2021
- ↑ Indiana Judiciary, "Federal Court in Indiana"
- ↑ The salary of the chief justice may be higher than an associate justice.
- ↑ Following his or her appointment, judges must stand for retention at the first even-year, statewide general election after he or she has served two full years. Subsequent terms are 10 years.
- ↑ State of Indiana, "Indiana Supreme Court," accessed Aug. 23, 2021
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedappcourts - ↑ 9.0 9.1 State of Indiana, "About the Court," accessed Aug. 23, 2021
- ↑ Indiana Courts, "Indiana Court of Appeals," accessed March 4, 2021
- ↑ Indiana Courts, "About the Tax Court," accessed March 4, 2021
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Federal courts:
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Indiana, Southern District of Indiana • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Indiana, Southern District of Indiana
State courts:
Indiana Supreme Court • Indiana Court of Appeals • Indiana Tax Court • Indiana Superior Courts • Indiana Circuit Courts • Indiana City Courts • Indiana County Courts • Indiana Municipal Courts • Indiana Small Claims Courts • St. Joseph County Probate Court • Indiana Town Courts
State resources:
Courts in Indiana • Indiana judicial elections • Judicial selection in Indiana
