Indiana Legal Overview The Supreme Court of Indiana is the highest court in the state of Indiana and is served by a Chief Justice and four associate justices appointed by the Governor who must subsequently get elected for a 10-year term. The Indiana Court of Appeals has five districts served by 15 justices who are also elected for 10-year terms. The Superior Court has77 divisions and Circuit Court has 90 circuits that act as the main trial courts. County and Circuit courts have jurisdiction over small claims after the Indiana Justice of the Peace Court system was abolished in 1976.
Top metro Indiana areas for Legal Issues: Indianapolis-Anderson-Columbus
1. Capital punishment is legal in Indiana, with the death penalty being administered by lethal injection. Barnes v. Glen Theatre (1991) was a landmark judgment regarding nudity in an adult establishment in South Bend, Indiana. The U.S. Supreme Court had to balance freedom of speech against the government's ability to ban expressive conduct. Similarly, in Crawford v. Marion County Election Board (2008), the court chose to uphold the government's requirement for a voter photo ID against the risk of disenfranchisement of low-income voters. In Jackson v. Indiana (1972), the court walked a fine line between committing and punishing mentally incompetent defendants. 2. A woman in western Indiana who admitted that she stabbed a couple while attempting to kidnap their month-old child has been sentenced to 28 years in prison. 3. A law firm in Indiana filed suit against the accounting firm and its workers who were involved in the Keenan Hauke Ponzi scheme.
Trending Indiana Legal Topics: The Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA) is a voluntary association established in 1896. Out of 14,000 lawyers licensed to practice law in Indiana, 11,500 are ISBA members. The bar exam is conducted by the State Board of Law Examiners. Complaints against attorneys come under the jurisdiction of the Disciplinary Commission, an agency of the Supreme Court of Indiana. The Commission on Judicial Qualifications is charged with investigating misconduct by judges. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is the ex-officio Chair of the commission, which has six other members including three lawyers and three citizens appointed by the Governor. |