FLOYD COUNTY —
The Indiana Supreme Court on Wednesday increased the educational requirements for judicial officers.
Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard signed the order amending the Indiana Rules for Admission to the Bar and Discipline of Attorneys based on recommendations by the Strategic Planning Committee of the Board of Directors of the Judicial Conference.
The committee is made up of nine judges across the state, including Floyd County Circuit Court Judge J. Terrence Cody.
“Indiana judges hold themselves to a high standard. They asked the Court to require additional continuing education hours and recommended specific changes to mandatory continuing education requirements,” Shepard said in a prepared statement. “I was pleased to sign the order making the changes they proposed a requirement for Indiana judges.”
The new education requirements, which will go into effect Jan. 1, were passed in April by the Board of Directors of the Judicial Conference, the governing board for Indiana judges, and sent to the Supreme Court for approval.
The new order increased the requirement for Continuing Judicial Education credits from 36 to 54 hours every three years, six to 15 hours each year and three to five ethics hours every three years. No more than 18 hours can be non-legal subjects.
The requirements are for all full-time judges and magistrates in trial and appellate courts.
“I’m pleased that my colleagues have decided to set the bar higher,” Floyd County Superior Court No. 3 Judge Maria Granger said. “Justice will be better served as a result.”
Cody said it should not be difficult for judges to meet the new requirements.
The update in requirements is one of numerous changes to Indiana courts proposed by the Strategic Planning Committee in a report unveiled in September of 2009.
Three members of the committee presented their findings at a conference for journalists in Indianapolis on Tuesday.
Their three main priorities are improved education for judges and court staff, simplified structure of the trial courts and an improved record-keeping system for trial courts.
Judges had been held to the same continuing educational standards as attorneys. Elkhart Circuit Court Judge Terry Shewmaker said they want judges to be held to a higher standard than attorneys.
Requirements for attorneys will remain the same.
Some of their proposals include requiring new court staff to pass a minimum competency test for handling court records, to attend training provided by the Indiana Judicial Center or approved by the supervising judge and to sign an ethics agreement.
The committee found that there are many different types of courts and titles for judges across the state and that jurisdiction issues can be complicated.
They want a simplified pyramid in which the Supreme Court is above the Court of Appeals and Tax Court. At the bottom of the pyramid are the trial courts rather than the numerous different types of local courts in different parts of the state.
There would only be two types of judicial officers, judges and magistrates, rather than the seven types there are now.
New judicial districts would also be set, and counties within those districts would work together to share resources.
Courts would be responsible for their records rather than the clerk. Marion Superior Court Judge Mark Stoner said the clerks would still supervise elections, issue marriage licenses and collect money.
“The clerks are our partners in this operation,” he said.
Matters dealing with the court structure and duties of the clerk will likely have to go before the Indiana General Assembly, while redistricting can be handled by the Supreme Court, Stoner said.
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