By Julie Whitman, Executive Director | Commission on Improving the Status of Children in Indiana Children in the court system—whether through juvenile justice or child welfare—must be treated equitably. Children, individuals, and families of color have at times been treated more harshly and punished more severely than their white counterparts. It is a fact, and it must stop. —Chief Justice Loretta Rush, Statement o … [Read more...] about Racial Justice and Indiana’s Children in Court
Columns
Trial Court Video Streaming Initiative
By Mary DePrez, Executive Director | Office of Court Technology Article 1 of the Indiana Constitution proclaims that “all courts shall be open,” that “in all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall have the right to a public trial” and that victims of crime have the right to be “present during public hearings.” How does a court accommodate the rights bestowed by our Constitution during a public health emergency? On M … [Read more...] about Trial Court Video Streaming Initiative
The Future is Now: Roadside Drug Tests in Indiana
By Earl G. Penrod, Senior Judge | Indiana Judicial Outreach Liaison Scenario: An Officer pulls over a vehicle for traveling 65 in a 55 mile per hour zone. The officer suspects the driver is impaired and administers field sobriety tests and a PBT, which results in a reading of .00. The officer then tells the driver that the next roadside test is an oral fluid test for drugs called SoToxa. When the driver says he has … [Read more...] about The Future is Now: Roadside Drug Tests in Indiana
Judicial appointments, Isabella Award winner, Drug Court receives grant funds
Leanna Weissman appointed to Court of Appeals Leanna K. Weissmann was appointed to the Court of Appeals by Governor Eric Holcomb and began her service on September 14, 2020, succeeding Judge John G. Baker after his summer retirement. Judge Weissmann graduated from Indiana University with a dual B.A. in journalism and English. She also earned her law degree from IU McKinney School of Law, graduating cum laude. Before … [Read more...] about Judicial appointments, Isabella Award winner, Drug Court receives grant funds
The Lasting Benefit of the Pandemic: Remote Work
By Heather R. Falks, Employment Attorney - ADA Coordinator | Indiana Supreme Court Change is inevitable, and it is our choice whether we resist change or evolve with it. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought changes to nearly all aspects of daily life—including the way we work. Employees have set up offices in their living rooms. Employers have scrambled to accommodate the world of remote work, or teleworking. We have a … [Read more...] about The Lasting Benefit of the Pandemic: Remote Work