Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush prepares to walk into the House chamber Wednesday to deliver her 10th State of the Judiciary speech. (Photo/Schyler Altherr at TheStatehouseFile.com)
By Schyler Altherr
TheStatehouseFile.com
January 10, 2024
Delivering her 10th State of the Judiciary speech to the Indiana Legislature, Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush declared the Indiana Judiciary is innovating and working to provide solutions and second chances to Hoosiers.
The chief justice gave her speech Wednesday to a joint session of the General Assembly. The attendees included Gov. Eric Holcomb, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, and more than 100 trial and appellate judges from around the state.
Proceeding from the chambers of the Supreme Court, Rush, accompanied by the associate justices and other judges, arrived at the Indiana House of Representatives to give the 2024 state of judiciary speech.
Rush focused her remarks on the work of individuals, judges, and programs working in state courts. In her speech entitled, “Indiana Courts’ Return on Investment,” she credited the legislature’s increased funding for the variety of help that courts can offer to struggling Hoosiers.
“This year, we are eager to show you – the proverbial ‘bang for the buck’ – your funding has produced,” Rush said to the legislature.
Rush devoted the bulk of her speech to spotlight stories of success from trial courts around the state.
She began with Floyd County Superior Court Judge Carrie Stiller and her work for the community in the area of mental health. After attending a 2022 statewide mental health summit Stiller and other county officials began their own county mental health summit.
The chief justice quoted Stiller as saying, “We are changing lives by reducing the barriers to a better life, a sober life.”
Rush then highlighted Vigo County Superior Court Judge Sarah Mullican and her work in problem-solving courts. The chief justice relayed the story of Josh who landed in Mullican’s family recovery court. Describing himself at the time as a “functioning addict,” he said he was hit by reality when an argument led to an arrest, felony charges, and eventually the loss of what he cared about most – his children.
As part of his participation in family recovery court, he attended Narcotics Anonymous meetings, completed an anger management course, and obtained a GED.
Speaking of the volunteer who helped Josh study for his GED, Rush said “God love our teachers,” which drew an applause from the legislatures, judges, and guests in attendance.
Rush attributed Josh’s success to Judge Mullican and the funding from the legislature to these problem-solving courts. She recognized Mullican and Josh, who then received a standing ovation from the gallery.
Also Rush called attention to the work of Marion County Superior Court Judge Dave Certo in the Indianapolis Veterans Court. She told the story of Aaron Shaw, an Army veteran who served in Iraq, but was struggling with drug abuse when he returned home. Rush credited Certo with seeing Shaw’s potential to turn his life around and find a second chance. Shaw is now a mentor and runs a sobriety support group.
“Way to go Aaron,” Rush said as the crowd gave him and Certo a standing ovation.
Rush took a step back in her speech to give a broader view of the achievements of the state courts. Specifically employing technological advancements in the courtroom and connecting with the community at large.
The open court policy of Indiana has shifted into the digital age, Rush said, highlighting the 24/7 access to online court dockets with their website.
“Just last year, 11 million people accessed the MyCase system and viewed over 63 million pages,” Rush said in her speech.
Rush and her colleagues looked to Indiana University researchers to answer the question of whether Hoosiers liked to attend court online,
“Their research revealed loudly and resoundingly: online civil courts enhance access to justice for unrepresented litigants,” Rush said.
Outreach was another point of emphasis for the chief justice, specifically in the area of civics education with the “Appeals on Wheels,” run by the Court of Appeals of Indiana. This program was recognized last summer with the Sandra Day O’Connor Award for the Advancement of Civics Education.
Rush concluded her speech by noting the unprecedented 100 judges appointed by Gov. Eric Holcomb during his tenure, 40 of whom were in attendance. She dubbed them the “Holcomb 100.”
Schyler Altherr is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
