« Ind. Courts - More on: Thousands escape traffic fines when ticket writer doesn't come to court | Main | Ind. Decisions - Federal court rules architects' copyright suit against library can proceed »
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Ind. Courts - A second judge could be assigned to the Marion County major felony drug court next year
Karen Eschbacher of the Indianapolis Star reports today:
A second judge could be assigned to the Marion County major felony drug court next year in an effort to speed cases through the system and help ease overcrowding in the county jail.
Under legislation passed earlier this year, Marion County will get three new judges starting in January. Cale Bradford, the presiding judge of Marion Superior Court, said Friday one would likely be assigned to drug court.Bradford said the move has nothing to do with controversy surrounding Judge Bill Young, who drew criticism from city officials for shutting the court for two weeks earlier this month while he went on vacation. [See 7/19/06 ILB entry here.] Rather, he said it comes down to numbers.
"It's likely going to happen, and that's because that caseload is three times that of other major felony courts," Bradford said. "Those cases need another judge to assist."
The major felony drug court has about 1,200 pending cases.
Young said he would welcome the help. "It will allow me, by loosening up some of the cases, to be able to spend more time on a case, to deal with each defendant in a more thoughtful way than I am able to now."
The assignment isn't a done deal and needs approval from the courts' three-member executive committee. The City-County Council must approve funding for the extra prosecutors, public defenders and court personnel necessary to support another judge. * * *
Even without another judge, there are plans to help. Work is under way to move the drug court from the basement of the City-County Building to another floor, where it will have three hearing rooms instead of one. That will let Young and the two commissioners assigned to the court conduct hearings simultaneously rather than wait for the lone hearing room to be open.
As for his decision to shut his court while away, Young continued to defend the move, saying it gave prosecutors and defense lawyers time to work on cases. Since he returned, 145 cases are now set for disposition, he said.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on July 29, 2006 08:20 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts