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Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Ind. Courts - "Putnam County Judges ask commissioners for Court Referee"
A long story today in the Greencastle Banner Graphic, reported by Maribeth Ward, begins:
Putnam County Commissioners gave their approval to a request by Superior Court Judge Denny Bridges and Circuit Court Judge Matt Headley for the creation of a court referee.They will go before the County Council Tuesday evening for fiscal approval.
A court referee is a licensed attorney in the state of Indiana who works under the authority of the judges and presides over cases assigned by them.
"We see the referee hearing child support, small claims, some misdemeanor, some juvenile cases as well as some dissolution of marriage actions," said the letter presented to the commissioners.
The two judges believe now is a good time to move forward with their request. They quote an increase in the total number of cases filed in Putnam County since 1978 to be 210 percent.
There were just two judges in 1978, and they heard 10,228 cases.
They cite increases in other county offices affecting the court system since 1978. The prosecuting attorney had two part-time prosecutors and two part-time secretaries in 1978. As of 2008 there were four prosecutors (three being full-time), four full-time secretaries, a victim's assistant coordinator and an investigator.
The sheriff's department increased from one, sheriff, one to two deputies, two to three jail employees and one office person to 17 deputy sheriffs, 13 full-time jail employees, 33 part-time ail employees and five office staff in 2008.
Bridges and Headley also pointed out the difference in other counties with populations from 21,542 to 39,902 (Putnam has 37,251) and the number of judges. Only one other county, Gibson with a population of 33,396, has only two judges.
Huntington with 38,026 in population has two judges, one referee and one town court. Knox County with 38,241 in population has three judges and one town court.
Even Wabash County with only a population of 33,559 has two judges and two town courts.
The judges' information went on to explain the weighting system of the Indiana Supreme court. When applying this weight to Putnam County courts the two courts are having cases filed that should require over three courts to hear them.
In fact, of the 92 counties within the state, only six counties have an aggregate average higher than Putnam.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on October 20, 2009 12:48 PM
Posted to Indiana Courts