“Where do we go from here?” This is often a question every organization faces at one time or another, and the judiciary is no exception. The Indiana Judicial Conference Board of Directors met in June 2008 to discuss and identify several strategic planning goals. As a result of that meeting, a Strategic Planning Committee was formed.
In order to know where to go tomorrow, you must start with where you are today. Part of the Strategic Planning Committee’s work has been to look at the current structure of our court system. As a part of this examination, the committee has observed the complex structure of Indiana’s courts, especially to those outside the system. Professor Henry Glick, author of Courts, Politics and Justice, described Indiana’s system as one of the least efficient, confusing and archaic court systems.
The committee discussed where the judiciary should strive to be in the future and the reasons to plan for a better court system. As a result of these discussions, the committee developed the following mission statement: “To improve our system of justice by assisting with the resolution of disputes under the rule of law while protecting individual rights and liberties in a fair, impartial, equally accessible, prompt, professional, and efficient manner.” Over the course of many meetings, this nine member committee developed a set of aspirations to guide the improvement of our court system.
The committee has provided periodic reports to the Board of Directors as well as to the whole judiciary during the 2008 Annual Meeting in September and the 2008 Winter Conference in December. The committee members convened fifteen special district meetings in January 2009 to discuss these concepts with trial judges. The questions, suggestions, and comments from these presentations have assisted the committee in further developing and refining this overall vision.
In October 2008, the Board of Directors approved the Strategic Planning Committee’s continuing study of the following broad concepts: (1) education and professionalism of the courts, (2) court structure, (3) court funding, (4) consolidation of clerk’s functions within the court, and (5) uniform selection of trial court judges.
After completing the January 2008 district meetings, the Strategic Planning Committee reported on the feedback received during these meetings and again discussed these concepts with the Board of Directors. At the February 2009 meeting, the Board voted to pursue the education initiatives. The Judicial Education Committee reviewed the recommendations referred to them and developed viable implementation plans. The Board directed the Strategic Planning Committee to continue to formulate recommendations to form new districts. The Board also asked the Strategic Planning Committee to continue to review and study the concepts related to clerk functions, court structure, court funding, and judicial selection.
Most recently, at the Annual Meeting of the Judicial Conference in September and on the recommendation of the Strategic Planning Committee, the Board of Directors adopted a vision to improve Indiana’s justice system entitled “A New Way Forward: The Strategic Planning Committee’s White Paper.” This 27 page document can be found online at: courts.in.gov/center/planning/forward.pdf.
The Strategic Planning Committee will continue to make recommendations focused on improving the professionalism, efficiency, and effectiveness of the Indiana Judiciary with help from all our partners including judges, clerks, lawmakers, bar associations, local governmental officials, and interested citizens. If you would like to know more about the work of the Strategic Planning Committee, please contact one of its members:
- Terry C. Shewmaker
- Elkhart Circuit Court, Co-Chair
- Mark D. Stoner
- Marion Superior Court, Co-Chair
- John G. Baker
- Chief Judge, Indiana Court of Appeals
- J. Terrence Cody
- Floyd Circuit Court
- Thomas J. Felts
- Allen Circuit Court
- Frances C. Gull
- Allen Superior Court
- Peggy L. Quint Lohorn
- Montgomery Superior Court #2
- Marianne L. Vorhees
- Delaware Circuit Court
- Mary G. Willis
- Henry Circuit Court