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Thursday, June 22, 2006

Courts - Miami County judicial system may expand

The Miami County Life reports today, in a story by Sherry Loshnowsky:

Local officials have initiated the process to create a third trial court in Miami County.

Superior Court Judge Dan Banina and Circuit Court Judge Rosemary Higgins-Burke told the Miami County Commissioners Monday that the two county courts are swamped with cases for various reasons. Presenting statistics from a weighted caseload study of the courts over the last ten years, Banina said the two courts have averaged the work of about three courts over the past five years.

Higgins-Burke attributed much of the problem to the number of small claims and civil cases being heard from the Miami Correctional Facility.

"They take up an enormous amount of time, partly because the inmates don't know anything about what they're doing, but some do know what they're doing because they've done it so many times," she said. "But it drives the complication of the cases up."

"We were told (by the state) we'd have another court (when the Miami Correctional Facility was built)," Commissioner Craig Boyer said. "I think we need to bring that to mind."

The commissioners voted to have the county attorney draft a resolution of support for the judges to pursue the matter. Banina and Higgins-Burke plan to approach the Miami County Council next to explore funding. The county would have to foot the bill for the staff for a third court, including a reporter and an administrator, but the judge would be paid for by the state.

Banina said it would take an act of the state legislature to create a third court, and said he wants Miami County to be on the state's court agenda in August to discuss it.

"I know a lot of counties try for years to get (approved for another court) and they renew their application every year," Banina said.


He added that Miami County is listed in the top 13 counties in Indiana that need an additional court, and that implementation would be January 2008 at the earliest if the county were approved immediately.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on June 22, 2006 03:05 PM
Posted to Indiana Courts