Chief Justice Brent E. Dickson presented the status of the courts in his 2014 State of the Judiciary speech delivered to a Joint Session of the Indiana General Assembly. He thanked the members of the Legislative and Executive branches for their cooperation and partnership in many areas of mutual concern and recognized the achievements of members of the judicial branch.
Highlights of the speech follow, but we invite you to read the entire text and watch the video of the event on the Indiana Courts website at http://courts.in.gov/supreme/2499.htm.
Chief Justice Dickson began his address with a reminder that the American system of justice is to be envied around the world, and that while most people think of criminal justice when they think of courts, our judiciary also plays a critical role in mediating civil disputes that affect our daily lives.
The speech cited numerous statistics and emphasized the fact that the entirety of Indiana’s Judicial Branch costs taxpayers only 9 cents for every $10 of total spending by state and local government units. It also generates over $200 million in revenue.
He reported on the advancement of important programs, including those that aim to reduce the number of civil litigants not represented by counsel, to find solutions for courts to help litigants who have limited English proficiency, to protect vulnerable seniors and children interacting with the justice system, and to aid families facing mortgage foreclosure.
Chief Justice Dickson discussed the increasing number of Indiana problem-solving courts—including drug courts, veterans’ courts, and mental health restoration courts—aimed at finding the most effective rehabilitation for non-violent offenders. He lauded the General Assembly for increasing funding for probation around the state.
He reported on the work of the newly created Commission on Improving the Status of Children in Indiana—with membership from all three branches of government—and the ongoing expansion of the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI).
The speech covered several ways in which court technology has progressed during the past year, including a new program to allow the exchange of data between the state’s Odyssey case management system and other case management systems used in trial courts. He noted that Indiana’s electronic risk assessment system has been recognized as a model by the National Institute of Corrections.
He announced the formation of the Court’s new Office of Communication, Education and Outreach, and reported on the recognition by the Forum on the Advancement of Court Technology (FACT) of the courts.in.gov website as one of the top ten court websites in the nation.
Central to Chief Justice Dickson’s message to our lawmakers were three forthcoming initiatives that will require legislative action:
- Modernization of the judgment docket
- Fixing the township small claims court system in Marion County
- Shifting the funding of courts statewide from local government to state government