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

Welcome to a special Indiana Public Broadcasting Station presentation of the State of 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.

Members of the Joint Assembly, pursuant to Section three of Article seven of the Constitution of the State of Indiana, this joint session of the two houses at the Indiana General Assembly is now convened for the purpose of 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.

What a wonderful welcome.

Thank you.

Governor Holcomb, Lieutenant Governor Crouch, members of the General Assembly, chief Judge Altice, colleagues and fellow Hoosiers.

Welcome to the 2024 State of the Judiciary.

I'll get right to the point.

Your judiciary stands among the strongest, if not the strongest, in the nation.

I appreciate this 10th opportunity as your chief justice to give this report here in the same chambers where so many of you do your work.

So this year, my colleagues, Justice Massa.

Justice Slaughter Justice Goff And Justice Molter and I would like to invite you to our chambers.

We will be hosting and holding our first night court for legislators on February 19th.

We invite all of you to join us.

It will be held in our historic courtroom located just 92 short steps down the third floor hallway.

I counted on my way here about your leadership.

Speaker Houston and President Pro Tem Bray will serve as our honorary bailiffs.

Attending this oral argument will give each of you a front row seat to see how our court considers cases interpreting the very laws enacted in these chambers.

So come on down, Judges, you must be bumper to bumper up there.

Thank you all for coming.

Our courts are busy, very busy serving Hoosiers in each of your communities.

Over 500 judges, along with their court reporters, bailiffs, clerks and others, are the hearts and hands of our judicial branch.

Together, they are working on 2.5 million cases pending in our courts.

You saw the pictures on the big screen as you wer seated... pictures of judges out in their communities, exemplifying a court system that is not only fair, but is deeply connected to those we serve.

Judges, we thank you for your dedication to handling such a high volume of work without ever losing your compassion to serve your communities.

One case.

One person at a time.

Judges, please stand and accept our appreciation.

In last year's address, I described how Indiana courts are engines of economic development, fairness, and public safety.

This year, we are eager to show you the return on your investment.

The proverbial bang for the buck your funding has produced.

We are incredibly grateful for your trust and financial commitment to the judiciary.

Thank you.

Your investment is paid huge dividends, enhancing operational efficiencies in the courts and improving the lives of Hoosiers we all serve.

Your funding has allowed us to expand problem solving and commercial courts address rural needs, leverage technology through innovation and build public trust through outreach.

And you know what?

We're just getting started.

To illustrate how your investment has transformed lives, I'm going to take you on a guided tour around the state to shine a light on just a few of the programs and initiatives our judges are working on.

Like you, we are dedicated to better addressing behavioral health needs.

First first stop across Indiana.

Let's drop in on Floyd County Judge Carrie Stiller in our county leaders are using your investment to strengthen their community.

They are fulfilling the constitutional imperative that justice be tempered with mercy and based on principles of reformation.

The local JRAC efforts were enhanced after the statewide 2022 Mental Health summit, where Judge Stiller brought a team of 12.

She says they left the summit inspired and committed to maintaining the momentum from that day's conversations.

One concern weighing heavily on her was something she saw firsthand.

Every day she watched from the courthouse is inmates being released from jail, stood on a street corner looking for a ride.

She could see the desperation in their faces and the likelihood of stepping right back into that cycle of drugs, arrest and jail.

If a released inmate, even one who needed and wanted treatment, had nowhere to go, who would they call to pick them up?

You know who she thought, who she worried about?

It would be their dealer.

So Judge Stiller convened her local leaders and a new pattern emerged in Floyd County.

The sheriff, prosecutor, public defender, judge, probation officers and treatment providers began to meet regularly.

They organized their own mental health summit, invited community members and service providers, open dialog with local leadership, and developed a plan.

Thank you, Lieutenant Governor Crouch, for participating in the Floyd County Summit and for all your work on behavioral health across the state.

Thank you.

The momentum in Floyd County has become unstoppable.

The County Council commissioners generously agreed to leverage their opioid settlement money to get matching state grants from GMH.

How smart.

And they hired a full time jail transition coordinator to assist release inmates to get to treatment, not stand on that street corner waiting for a ride.

Judd Stiller says it best.

We are changing lives by reducing the barriers to a better life, a sober life.

Judge Stiller Your collaboration is a model of courage, efficiency, coordination and wise investment in your community.

Will, your team, including Sheriff Bush, Prosecutor Lane, public Defender and all lawmakers who represent Floyd part of Floyd County.

Please rise and take accept our appreciation for another look at a return on investment.

Let's leave Floyd County and travel north west to Vigo County.

Judge Sarah Mullican is running one of Indiana's 21 family recovery courts.

According to Judge Mullican Family Recovery Courts take a holistic approach to end the cycle of generational DCS involvement by giving people the tools to do the work themselves.

Recovery courts, like all problem solving courts, require intensive judicial and community supervision.

But what better investment can we make than one that creates a pathway for children to be safely reunited with their parents?

Thank you.

Judge Mullican had a parent in a recovery court named Josh by his own account, Josh was a functioning addict, which you rationalized because you worked pages, bills and loved his kids.

But when an argument led to an arrest to a failed drug screen and to his kids being taken away.

Josh says the smack of reality hit him.

He was homeless without a high school diploma and he lost the one thing that mattered to him most his children.

When Josh stood before Judge Mullican, she recognized without that high school diploma or driver's license.

His options were closed off.

How is he going to provide for his family?

Along with any an anger managed meetings, one of Josh's family court requirements was that he obtained his GED every Tuesday.

A volunteer teacher came in and worked with Josh, studied with Josh and prepared him for the test.

God love our teachers.

When the big day came, Josh not only passed but was recommended to attend college.

His, his confidence skyrocketed and he successfully graduated from Judge Mulligan's Family Recovery Court.

Today, he has his driver's license.

He's married to a supportive wife, and he's reunited with his children.

Josh's transformation was possible because of the funding that you provided for problem solving courts.

What a return on investment.

On behalf of all those like Josh who grabbed a second chance, we thank the judges, teachers and care providers who turned their help turn the help these individuals turn their life around.

Josh, your wife, Amber, is with us today, right?

You got a babysitter.

Come on.

Just stand up.

And enjoy.

Judge Mulligan.

Judge Mulligan.

Judge Mulligan, you're going to have to stand up to right.

For another powerful return on investment.

We don't have to travel far right here in Marin County.

Judge Dave Certo runs the Indianapolis Veterans Court, one of Indiana's 151 problem solving courts.

Judge Certo's program, which has graduated 116 men and women, is not easy.

As Judge Certo explains, they were trained to be honorable, strong and, yes, dangerous to the enemy upon return to civilian life.

We have a role to help them when they falter.

This means weekly meetings, frequent drug screens and an intense accounting of behavior that forces change.

For Aaron Shaw, he fell apart after a brave Army career with service in Iraq.

Once risking his life for his country, he now risks losing his life on the streets due to heroin use.

Aaron says I was a menace to society.

I was chaos to the city.

But Judge Certo saw someone different, a person with the potential to be a good employee, parent and neighbor.

Aaron worked hard in the program for over three years before graduating and getting his charges dismissed.

Aaron now serves as a mentor and runs a sobriety support group.

He joined the National Board of directors of a treatment association.

He's reconnected with his college with his son, who's now in college.

Way to go, Aaron.

Give us a wave.

Thank you, Judge Certo.

though the state has limited resources, it's unquestionably wise to use them to help our veterans get stable housing, job training, and catch up on child support.

A problem solving court show data have data showing thousands of graduates and hundreds of thousands of negative drug screens.

But the real return on investment isn't just a number, and it's not always quantifiable with a metric.

It's to reclaim lives like Aaron's.

On behalf of all the Hoosiers leading successful lives today, will Aaron, Judge Certo and all our problem solving court judges and staff that are with us today, please stand.

Just north of the state's largest metropolitan area, we head to rural Indiana, Wabash County.

It's the hometown of my colleague Chris Goff, and includes local leaders who are trying to figure out how to best serve their rural communities.

How many of you represent a rural community so you understand the challenges and the unique needs?

We do too.

Courts are a primary referral source to get people to treatment.

But there are huge barriers when a county has no service providers, no problem solving courts or not enough attorneys, and no one sees a return on investment when we have justice by geography where a person in one county can get help but gets locked up in another because the same resources aren't present.

To address those concerns.

Over 200 rural justice stakeholders met last October with public health professionals for a first of its kind summit.

The purpose was purpose was to develop solutions for accessing treatment and promoting rehabilitation in under-resourced areas.

And one of those resources is lawyers, and we're facing a shortage.

Several counties are struggling to fill fill the constitutional required positions of judge, prosecutor and public defender and legal providers can fill the gaps for all civil matters, such as child support, guardianships, wills and adoptions.

We're calling on some who attended the summit to help us find solutions.

Such innovation means examining broader pathways to legal education and bar mission, alternative forms of law, licensure and ways to encourage rural and public sector practices.

Finding solutions will take all of us working together.

One highlight of that summit was a realization that thanks to the landmark Legislation you passed last year, we are cutting red tape and accessing funding and providing technical assistance to transform behavioral health.

I have to thank all of you, especially Representatives McNamara and Steuerwald, along with Senator Crider and of course, our beloved former Senator Jack Sandlin.

For all the hard work on behavioral health last session.

Thank you.

Could all those who attended the Rural Justice Summit and are working toward solutions on these issues, including Justice Goff, Lieutenant Governor Crouch, Representatives Goss- Reaves and Sweet and Senator Zay, please stand and accept our appreciation for your largest recent investment in Judiciary was right was directed at improving court technology.

And for this part of the tour, we're everywhere.

We are aligning the legal systems in all 92 counties with the demands of a digital age.

When our framers crafted the court shall be open provision of the Indiana Constitution over 200 years ago.

They never could have imagined the remarkable ways we could leverage technology today and you as a modern day framers of our laws.

Your investment in core technology has allowed us to be pioneers in our own right.

Indiana's recognized as a national leader in court technology, allowing 24-7 access to the courts.

Visit our website.

You'll see searchable databases.

A child support calculator, court calendars, ticket payment, marriage license processing, court hearings, both live and archived, just to name a few.

Last year, 11 million people accessed the MyCase system and we viewed over 63 million and they viewed over 63 million pages.

We provide free electronic filing for the 8 million legal documents filed last year.

We also send a text message, reminders of court hearings by the millions.

These efforts not only produce incredible cost savings, but they empower Hoosiers to be on top of their case and get it resolved.

And isn't that what good government is all about?

It's it's no surprise that court customers would want to get a text message reminder about a hearing or pay a traffic ticket online.

But if Hoosiers want to attend court online, we weren't we weren't sure.

So we welcomed Indiana University research researchers to take an impartial look.

Like many, they were skeptical that people would be satisfied with having their day in court remotely.

And we were particularly interested in the experiences of vulnerable Hoosiers.

Well, that research revealed loudly and resoundingly online civil courts enhance access to justice for unrepresented litigants.

For a person who has to find a ride to court to miss work or get childcare, remote access is not only about flexibility, it's the linchpin to getting their case resolved.

Getting justice.

Simply logging on to remote hearing at times is far more practical than jumping the hurdles that can accompany attending court in person.

Thank you, Professor Victor Quintanilla and team for your research.

It provides guidance on how we can use technology to meet the promise of a people centered justice system.

Professor, please stand.

Just as people want their cases resolved quickly so do businesses.

Our tour of Indiana wouldn't be complete without stops in Allan, Elkhart, Floyd, Hamilton, Lake, Madison, Marion, Saint Joseph, Vigo and Vanderburg counties highlighting the ten commercial court counties that are open for businesses across the state.

We crafted our commercial courts to deliver predictability and efficiency.

We now have a free searchable database of commercial court decisions so businesses can research how similar disputes are resolved.

And we have free Indiana commercial Court Treatise that lawyers can look to in advising their clients and preparing for court.

Nearly 2000 cases have been filed in these courts, and our data shows that the parties are getting their decisions in these complicated business disputes more quickly.

We're even hearing from lawyers throughout the state and now routinely include provisions in contracts that require disputes to be litigated exclusively in the commercial courts of Indiana.

Let's think about that for a moment.

When hoosier businesses are negotiating valuable deal points in their contracts, things like price, quantity, quality, delivery times.

They now see value in agreeing that any disputes must be resolved in Indiana's commercial courts.

It's outstanding One superstar judge in this arena, Marion County's Heather Welch, is retiring this year.

Attorneys and business leaders across the state will tell you that she handles cases with wisdom and respect.

Judge Welch, please stand so we can shower you with appreciation.

We could not have delivered that value to your constituents without not only funding, but time.

That includes Senator Cook's leadership and the entire Commercial Court committee, past and present, including former Justices Sullivan and David and current Justice Moltor.

Could all of you commercial court judges and the names I just mentioned that have helped us get to this point?

Please stand and accept our appreciation.

I began my remarks with an invitation to come see an appellate case in person.

That's because trust and confidence in the courts are bolstered when people are able to see firsthand the precision, precision in which the laws you've crafted are considered.

Our Court of Appeals knows this.

They do incredible work to make sure cases are open and accessible to the public.

But this isn't just my humble opinion.

They have, in fact, been declare They were honored last summer with the prestigious National Sandra Day O'Connor Award for Civics education.

Through their one of a kind Appeals on Wheels program.

The 15 judges regularly traverse the state, bringing appellate proceedings to over 600 communities in all 92 counties.

Could chief judge Altice and the members of the court of hard working Court of Appeals, please stand and accept our thanks to you, the Legislature.

Thank you for the increased funding you provided us.

Your increase investment in courts is an investment that bolsters the bedrock of democracy.

It allows us to better serve Hoosiers.

Behavioral health needs, strengthen individual communities, help families, leverage it by innovating, leveraging technology, and increasing public trust through outreach and access.

And to Governor Holcomb, thank you for your steady hand and tremendous leadership these past eight years.

I want to specifically highlight one thing that you have done or better stated, a hundred things that you have done to ensure Indiana's judiciary remains the envy of so many other states.

You have now appointed 100 judges to the bench You hold a remarkable place in history, not only due to the number of your appointments, but also due to the quality of your appointments.

Will all the judges or I'm going to call you the “Holcomb 100 ” in this chamber who've been appointed by Governor Holcomb, please stand.

I'd also like to thank his team, Sharon Jackson, Joe Herron, Michael Nash said, and Senator Chris Cox as well for their work.

One of your legacies among many is that of a strong judiciary.

So be confident that your judiciary will continue to be strong.

We will continue to respect the wise, investment that you've done by giving us the funding you have for the past year.

And may God continue to bless our great state.

Thank you very much.

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.