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Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Ind. Courts - Proposal filed to require all St. Joseph Superior Court judges to be elected by voters

Cory Havens of the South Bend Tribune reports today on the proposal - here are some quotes:

State Rep. Craig Fry, D-Mishawaka, has filed a bill that would require all St. Joseph Superior Court judges to be elected by voters rather than be selected by a panel of attorneys and appointed by the governor.

House Bill 1571, if it became law, would also move control of the juvenile justice system away from the county's Probate Court.

Both moves are necessary to provide accountability for St. Joseph County residents, Fry said.

"This legislation would restore some credibility to a court system that has acted like a royal kingdom far too often in the past few years," Fry said in a written release Tuesday afternoon. "I cannot see why the Superior Court judges should act as though they have no accountability to the residents of St. Joseph County. I certainly see no reason why justice should be dispensed by a group of judges who are not beholden to the people of St. Joseph County."

Superior Court judges are elected in 90 of Indiana's 92 counties, all but St. Joseph and Lake. That fact was among the issues explored in a series of articles published in September by The Tribune called "Judging the Judges: Who decides whether justice is being served?" (You can still read the series for free on the Special Reports section of our Web site.)

Once a judge is appointed, they stand for a retention vote every six years. No judge has ever been removed in a retention vote in St. Joseph County.

"These judges should be required to stand before the public and justify their record on the bench, just like any other officeholder," Fry said in the release. * * *

St. Joseph County Prosecutor Michael Dvorak supports electing judges in the county, according to the release.

"Our county is one of only two in the state that does not elect Superior Court judges," Dvorak was quoted as saying. "They are responsible for the administration of civil and criminal courtrooms, and the efficiency and fairness to anyone who comes into their courts. The Superior Court judges in St. Joseph County should be accountable to the public they serve, just as they are in the rest of Indiana."

HB 1571 has not yet been posted to the General Assembly website. When it is, it may be accessed via this link.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on January 24, 2007 08:51 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts