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Friday, January 06, 2006

Ind. Courts - New Howard County Superior Court 4 opens; other changes [Updated 1/7/06]

The Kokomo Tribune reports today:

Howard County Superior Court 4 is open for business. Kokomo resident George Hopkins, was sworn in as judge this morning and begin accepting cases.

Superior Court 4, officially termed a court of general jurisdiction, will accept largely lower felony, mental health and civil cases under reorganization guidelines established by a vote of county judges.

It’s not the only change in the courthouse, however.

One of the biggest changes the courts will see in the coming year is the transition of Superior Court I, under Judge William Menges, into a drug court.

Superior Court 2 Judge Stephen Jessup said a judge’s vote has resulted in a petition to the Indiana Supreme Court to dedicate Superior Court 1 to handle only drug-related cases.

Superior Court 3 will no longer file criminal domestic cases and driving felonies of Class C and higher, Menges said.

“That’s the action taken by the judges. I voted against it,” Jessup said.

Although he called the changes “drastic,” Menges said a drug court has been a goal for some time. “That was one of the things we wanted to do with the establishment of another court,” he said.

[Updated 1/7/06] Here today is a longer story on Judge Hopkins - same paper, same reporter.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on January 6, 2006 12:30 PM
Posted to Indiana Courts