Each year, millions of dollars in fines and courts costs charged to defendants in Indiana’s courts go unpaid, often leaving courts and clerks with little recourse for collecting those debts. Some people simply forget that they got that speeding ticket; others cannot come up with the money to pay that fine on time; and others simply ignore the court’s order. Their lives go on, the fines and costs remain unpaid, the cou … [Read more...] about Reclaiming Revenue: How Odyssey helps counties collect outstanding fines and court costs
Columns
Punishing the Profane
Using Criminal Contempt Powers in an Ethical Manner Adefendant spews forth a string of curses during his initial hearing. A cell phone goes off in a busy courtroom, but no one will take responsibility for the disruption. When submitting a check to pay her fine, a litigant writes an expletive (expressing how she feels about the court) in the memo section. Judges often face disrespectful and disruptive behavior in the … [Read more...] about Punishing the Profane
Hon. Mary Willis
This is the twenty-third of our Court Times articles that highlight up close and personal a member of the Indiana Judiciary. Henry Circuit Court Judge Mary Willis is our judge featured in this issue. She received her undergraduate degree from the Ball State University and her law degree from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. Following graduation from law school in 1991, she was in private law … [Read more...] about Hon. Mary Willis
Keeping Current on Title IV-D Information
The Division of State Court Administration (Division) has received inquiries from clerks, lawyers and litigants about access to court records that arise out of cases involving Title IV-D child support issues. After doing some “investigative” work, we learned that a 2002 memorandum issued by the Division regarding the confidentiality of Title IV-D agency records may be the source of the confusion. Based on this 2002 me … [Read more...] about Keeping Current on Title IV-D Information
Facsimile Transmittal Fee Facts
Can a court or clerk assess a fee for sending a document via facsimile? Several times each year the Division is asked whether a clerk or court can assess a fee for sending a document via facsimile. There is a statute that authorizes a public agency, which includes the judicial branch according to I.C. 4-13-1-1, to collect a facsimile fee provided it is authorized by a statute or court order. See I.C. 5-14-3-8(f). … [Read more...] about Facsimile Transmittal Fee Facts