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Monday, May 02, 2011
Ind. Courts - "Courts merger might shed politics, trim costs"
Bill Dolan reports in the NWI Times, in a story that begins:
CROWN POINT | Lake County officials hope legislation designed to take four Lake Superior Court judges out of politics will save taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars.County Attorney John Dull said county officials are looking into a proposal to have the four judges share staff among themselves and with another dozen nonpartisan judges to reduce the number of part-time lawyers or other employees now on the county payroll. * * *
Superior Court, County Division Judge Julie Cantrell sold legislators on moving her court and three other political courts into the county's nonpartisan judicial system on the grounds it would create greater efficiency through shared staff.
Legislators responded and Gov. Mitch Daniels is expected to sign House Bill 1266 into law, which would end County Division judges Cantrell, Nicholas Schiralli, Sheila Moss and Jesse Villalpando's dependence on political parties to stay in office.
Instead, voters would reject or retain them for six more years. The judges' political affiliation isn't announced on the ballot and they cannot be challenged by candidates from either political party.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on May 2, 2011 06:54 PM
Posted to Indiana Courts