This program is made possible through support from the Indiana State Supreme Court.

Welcome to a special Indiana Public Broadcasting Station presentation of the 2023 stated the Judiciary Address.

Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush will address the governor and the joint session of the Indiana General Assembly with her speech.

The Indiana Constitution requires the Chief Justice to annually provide lawmakers with an update on the condition of the courts.

It is my honor to present to you Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch.

Members of the Joint Assembly, pursuant to Section three, Article seven of the Constitution of the State of Indiana.

This joint session of the two houses of the Indiana General Assembly is now convened for the purpose of hearing a message from the Chief Justice of Indiana.

It is my privilege to present to you the distinguished Chief Justice of Indiana, the honorable Loretta Rush.

Thank you, Governor Holcomb.

Lieutenant Governor Crouch, members of the General Assembly.

Chief Judge Altice, colleagues and fellow Hoosiers, welcome to the 2023 state of the Judiciary.

It is a true joy for me to be here.

This is my ninth time to fulfill my constitutional responsibility, to report to you on the condition of Indiana's courts.

So I'll get right to the point.

Your judiciary is stronger than ever.

50 years ago, Indiana became my home.

I'm proud daughter of a railroad man.

And we moved frequently, 16 times to be exact, following the train tracks from Hoboken, New Jersey, to the south side of Chicago.

It was those trains, those early engines of economic development that transported me to Indiana.

And this opportunity to serve our great state with all of you.

Like those trains, Indiana's courts are working as engines of economic development.

You know, may seem unusual to think about the judicial branch as an economic driver or as a crucial protector of public safety.

But let me explain, 2.5 million cases are currently pending in Indiana courts cases to touch on every facet of who's your life.

I'm going to give you a sampling from last year.

10,500 fresh starts coming through criminal expungements.

19,000 mental health cases.

The largest ever to ensure those suffering from mental health issues receive the help they need.

36,000 new protective order cases to help prevent domestic or port workforce violence.

13,200 endangered adults receiving protection and guardianship cases.

20,000 children in need of services served by the GAL/CASA programs.

13,000 new paternity cases to help ensure children receive support from both parents.

5000 new adoptions to officially bring forever families together.

4200 domestic violence convictions that are shared with law enforcement to prevent the purchase of guns by dangerous people in 80,000 small claims cases that allow neighbors, businesses and others to peacefully settle their disputes.

You know, being in court is a particularly vulnerable time personally, emotionally, economically.

The sooner person can get before a judge and resolve differences with a creditor, settle disputes with a landlord, obtain child support, expunge a conviction, or be made whole in a lawsuit.

The sooner they can get back to their families and back to work.

The same is true for businesses in a legal dispute where efficiency and fairness are paramount in fostering a safe community and a strong economy.

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Nearly 70% of businesses look at a state's litigation environment when deciding where to locate or expand.

In 2015, we committed to a bold overhaul for complex business litigation.

When we launched our Commercial Courts project, these specialized courts, now ten statewide, are laser focused on resolving complicated business disputes.

They utilize highly trained and seasoned judges, business specific resources, and uniquely dedicated legal advisors.

More than 600 cases have been filed in our commercial courts, and those complex cases are being decided quickly in a predictable, consistent and fair environment.

Business owners see the positive outcomes, enabling them to make informed decisions on the costs and risk of potential legal issues.

As a result, our commercial courts help make Indiana an attractive state for economic development and expansion.

But we're not done.

We are working hard to ensure our commercial courts become a preeminent forum for the determination of business disputes.

At a recent meeting, attorneys from across the state indicated some businesses are now writing contracts that name Indiana's commercial courts as the arbiter of any dispute.

Amazing.

Why not lead the nation in this model and strive for our commercial courts to challenge the Delaware Courts of Chancery?

We're committed to doing just that.

We could not have realized these achievements without the support of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

Business leaders across the state.

Our ten commercial court judges and members of our legislature, including the leadership of Senator Eric Koch.

Will all of you please stand and accept our thanks?

Commercial Court Judges.

Our commercial courts are not the only specialized court model producing measurable outcomes.

Indiana's problem solving courts are changing and saving lives.

In my very first State of Judiciary, I announced that we had 68 problem solving courts statewide, with veterans courts experiencing the fastest growth.

We promised you that we would expand these specialized courts, and we've delivered.

We had more than doubled them.

Today we have 143 problems solving courts, including veterans courts.

With more to come.

These courts exemplify all that is good in our judicial system.

Justice tempered with mercy, based on the principles of reformation as set forth in the Indiana Constitution.

Will all of our problem solving court judges here today please stand and accept our thanks?

But with over 30 counties without a problem solving court and many existing courts at capacity.

We still have work to do to ensure that all Hoosiers have equal access to these powerful tools of justice.

As Dearborn County Judge John Cleary recently told me, so many of our current treatment court participants are coming to us for help to escape the hell that they're living in.

And the results are good.

Very good.

I want to offer a special thanks to the judge who ten years ago pioneered one of Indiana's first veterans courts, Floyd Countys, Maria Granger.

Her Veterans Court of Southern Indiana includes Clark, Fort Floyd and Scott Counties.

This tri county cooperation allows a county which may not have the individual resources to maintain a problem solving court, to work with justice partners just up that road.

Or maybe better said, as you said, Governor Holcomb, last night, just up that Monon trail line and cross county cooperation just makes good economic sense.

Like Judge Cleary, Judge Granger describes problem solving courts as effective crime reducers because the participants are required to face the truth, get treatment, think, speak and act with accountability.

During my first State of the Judiciary, I invited one of the program's first graduates, Specialist Christopher Bunch, to this assembly.

You might remember that he commended the Veterans Courts Rigorous program, which provided him with counseling support and the chance to make amends.

Specialist Bunch, like so many of his fellow graduates, turned his life around and to this day continues to be a valuable member of his community.

He's married with children.

His family just bought their first house.

He owns a construction company.

And he has been sober for nine years.

Today, Chris, it is a fine day to welcome you back to this assembly.

Chris along with your wife, Stephanie.

Stephanie, we didn't see you.

Could you stand up because you're a part of this?

And is Judge Maria Granger.

Chris, you're here representing the thousands of problem solving graduates that have made it.

Thank you for coming back and joining us today.

One, we reason our specialized courts work so well.

Is there integration of reliable data, critical pieces of information available through and an indispensable tool for justice?

And that's core technology.

In many ways, core technology is the engine that enables vital connections, not just for our judges and for all Hoosiers, but between government entities.

Connections, and previously would have been impossible, are now seamlessly part of our modern records.

8 million documents were electronically filed last year through our paperless court system.

We alerted the VA to 20,000 veterans with court cases to get them specialized help.

4 million text messages have been sent to remind parties about upcoming hearings.

We enabled 1500 parties to settle their disputes through online dispute resolution, and we now have an online portal accepting gigabyte upon gigabyte of evidence.

We have a million protection orders that have now been filed in the statewide registry, and several nonprofits are working with us to help new Hoosiers navigate and resolve their legal problems with our support.

The Indiana Bar Foundation is providing 120 self-help kiosks in courts, libraries and community centers throughout Indiana.

Thank you.

Indiana Bar Foundation.

Additionally, all Hoosiers now have 24 hours a day, seven days a week, access to their courts, which reduces costs, speeds up cases, and saves taxpayer money.

Please raise your hand if you're one of the millions of people who have freely access Indiana cases using MyCase?

If not, you should.

More than 50 million pages reviewed online just last year, and you might just discover, like I did, that your child had a speeding ticket you didn't know about.

What can I say?

Guilty as charged.

Aside from enabling this astounding access, we're also a national leader in developing leveraging new technology to improve public safety by creating a fully connected and accessible court system.

We're providing information to you and other policymakers in tangible, life saving ways.

Just two examples come to mind.

Drugs, particularly methamphetamine, continue to ravage our communities.

You asked us to send the names of those convicted of drug crimes to a national tracking system.

We delivered.

As a result, more than 90,000 people are on the list of pharmacies that they check before selling ingredients that can be made meth.

In another remarkable example, we provide data on felony child abuse, drug and other violent criminal convictions to our Department of Education.

Together, we have found 328 licensed educators.

It's scary, I know.

But by providing it by providing that information, it allows the DOJ to pursue license suspension.

And our children are the beneficiaries of this government cooperation.

And for that, we should all be proud.

A key partner in using courts as engines of public safety are our sheriffs.

We have partnered with the Indiana Sheriffs Association on many Justice system reforms, including mental health, substance abuse, Justice Reinvestment Advisory Council, local JRAC and pretrial improvements.

We're also working with them to roll out a new jail management system, eye and jail for potential statewide use.

This project came about after your jail overcrowding task force identify wide systemic problems with multiple unlinked jail management systems, problems that prevent all of us from collecting and analyzing reliable data.

You asked for a solution and we're delivering.

Seven counties are now participating in the system's design, and it's going to be implemented this year in Martin, Grant and Elkhart Counties.

This new system will improve public safety by ensuring accurate criminal records, allowing judges to view real time incarceration status, and alerting community agencies when a supervised individual is arrested.

This new in this new ability that we will have to share offender information between jails, law enforcement, community corrections, probation and all justice partners will be vital to public safety.

And we'll give you information like you've never had before to help guide decision making and policymaking in these areas.

We're looking forward to doing it.

INJail is our most complicated court technology project to date, and it reflects our resolve to do everything we can to support the men and women in law enforcement, those who dedicate their lives to keep the crucial work of keeping our communities safe.

Could all the sheriffs here today please stand and accept our gratitude for your strong partnerships in the administration of justice throughout Indiana?

When we met this time last year, we talked about a shared concern, mental health problems in our communities.

They're pervasive.

They drain workers productivity and they persistently affect public safety.

The criminal justice system has been taxed beyond its abilities.

Jails are not treatment centers, and we pledged to work with you to find solutions.

Thank you.

Governor Holcomb, President Pro Tem Bray, Speaker Huston, Senators Crider and Sandlin, Representative Steuerwald, Justice Goff, and all the leaders for your time input in attendance at the 2022 Mental Health Summit.

Also, a special thanks to the nearly 1000 Hoosiers representing all 92 counties who came together at the summit to find a better path in their communities to help those suffering with mental health.

Well, all of you who are in attendance, please stand and accept our thanks that we know that our communities have come to rely on county jails to serve as de facto mental health treatment centers.

We also know that this was never planned, is not sustainable.

When we ask sheriffs to take on this never intended duty, we prevent them from carrying out their core mission to provide public safety.

We confronted this reality at the Summit by collectively examining and evaluating Indiana's mental health delivery system, including the development of a new crisis response system.

This system ensures every Indiana community has a humane alternative to the county jail when someone is suffering from a mental health crisis.

You are looking at the 988 crisis response hotline and how it can both increase public safety and save taxpayer dollars.

Our judges, and there's a lot of them up there today, are here to stand with you, to take on this monument, this opportunity to improve mental health care.

Thank you.

Families are the bedrock of any society.

Strong families foster a strong workforce.

And it takes a collaboration of all three branches to ensure who your children have the best opportunities.

This collaboration is exemplified in our Children's Commission, led by our first executive director, Julie Whitman.

Recently, the commission worked on a statewide child abuse prevention framework and toolkit, spearheaded a top to bottom review of our juvenile justice system.

With Representative McNamara and Senator Crider and developed an information sharing app which is connected nearly 6000 users with legal guidance.

Today, the Commission is working on tough issues affecting our communities sex trafficking, youth mental health, the impact of drug use on families, infant child deaths, and ways to improve educational outcomes for vulnerable youth.

Many of the hard working commission and committee members are here with us, including Senators Breaux, Donato and Ford and Representatives DeVon, Summers, Clere, and Jackson.

Senator Holdman, the Children's Commission was a product of your work a decade ago.

Julie is here today who is moving on after having made a life lasting difference.

Could all of you have participated in the Children's Commission?

Please stand and accept our gratitude.

There is another person of impact who is moving on and deserves our thanks.

First Woman Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals, the trailblazing Margret Robb, a nationally recognized judicial leader and legal scholar, she's authored almost 4000 opinions.

For the last 25 years, led her court across the state for traveling oral arguments and very importantly, generously given her time and talent to educate the next generation of the bench and bar judge Robb are going to stand up again and allow us to acknowledge your lifetime of service.

35 years ago on this exact date in history, standing right here, a new chief justice stood himself a young man.

He admitted that day that the trial bench was relatively young, while Chief Justice Shepard.

35 years later.

Not all of us are so young anymore.

Like history repeating itself, we once again have an astounding number of new judges.

A third of the trial bench.

My Supreme Court colleague Derek Molter, and newly appointed Court of Appeals Judges Peter Foley and Dana Kenworthy.

Chief Justice Shepard declared confidence in the young judges of 1988.

He said that people come to court at a time, at a time when their dearest interests are at stake.

Family, home, job, liberty.

And what they find is a judge carefully listening to the evidence and giving a wise decision based on the laws you have written.

The young judges of 1988 lived up to that early praise.

And I have the same confidence in the young judges of 2023.

I have zero doubt in your ability to take us as Governor Holcomb office often says to that next level.

I firmly believe that 35 years from now, the chief justice will be up here singing your praises.

I would like all of you who are newly elected or appointed in the past three years to please stand.

Governor, you know, a lot of them.

I'm privileged to represent both Indiana, the United States as a president of the Conference of Chief Justices.

I recently met in Helsinki with justices from Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and other countries around the world.

We discussed shared challenges and aspirations.

I heard stories about decade long backlogs and the critical need for anti-corruption courts.

And I listened as Ukrainian justice emphasized their resolve unrelentingly to keep their courts open for their citizens and their economy despite war torn bombed out courthouses.

These stories gave me the utmost appreciation for the strength and efficacy of our legal system in America and more specifically here in Indiana.

We all pledge and take the same oath to serve and uphold our Constitution.

And as much as I'm uplifted and proud to represent our state and country, I am always glad to be back home again in Indiana with all of you as we work to ensure our courts continue to operate as engines of prosperity, fairness and public safety.

Thank you.

And may God continue to bless our great state.

This has been special coverage of the annual state of the Judiciary address for Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations.

This is Brandon Smith.

This program is made possible through support from the Indiana State Supreme Court.