What are Indiana Court Records?

Docket Sheet

This document lists the names of the parties, attorneys, and judges involved in a case and all materials about a case filed in the court in chronological order.

Judgment and Orders

This document outlines the court's decision and clarifies each party's rights and liabilities in a case.

Transcripts

These are recordings of all the litigants' lawyers' spoken arguments and the judge's decision. The recording is usually made using an electronic recorder or a real-time transcriber.

Pleadings

Pleadings are formal documents lawyers draft for a trial. They usually contain a party's claims and grounds for relief.

Court Minutes

This document summarizes a timeline of court events, including the beginning and end of the trial, special actions, and minute orders.

Civil Cases

A civil case is a dispute between two or more people or companies, usually about money. The person who brings the case is called the plaintiff, and the person being sued is the defendant. To start a civil case, the plaintiff files a written complaint. This document explains the claims against the defendant, the laws that were broken, the facts of the dispute, and what the plaintiff wants as a resolution. The defendant can respond by filing an answer, where they deny the claims. In court, the plaintiff must show that it is more likely than not that the defendant did something wrong. The jury then decides who is right: the plaintiff or the defendant. If the jury agrees with the plaintiff, the defendant may have to pay money, stop certain actions, or fix the problems that caused the dispute.

Criminal Cases

In a criminal case, the State of Indiana is the plaintiff, and the person accused of a crime is the defendant. The court brings the defendant in through either an Indictment or an Information. An Indictment is used when a grand jury brings the charge, while Information is used when the Prosecuting Attorney files the charge.

It is the plaintiff's job to prove that the defendant committed the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. If the defendant admits to the charge, they enter a plea of guilty. If they deny the charge, they enter a plea of not guilty.

In criminal cases, a jury decides if the defendant is guilty or not guilty of the charges. In most cases in Indiana, however, the judge decides the punishment for a convicted defendant. In cases involving the death penalty or life without parole, the jury hears evidence about the punishment and makes a binding recommendation.

Indiana Supreme Court

The Indiana Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in the state and the court of last resort on the interpretation of Indiana's laws and constitution. The court has jurisdiction in the following areas:

• Admission to the practice of law
• Discipline and disbarment of attorneys
• Discipline, removal, and retirement of justices and judges
• Unauthorized practice of law

The Indiana Supreme Court reviews appeals for serious cases, including those with death sentences or life imprisonment without parole. It also looks at appeals about denied requests for post-conviction relief in death sentence cases and those about waiving parental consent for abortion. Additionally, the Court reviews decisions from the Indiana Court of Appeals and the Indiana Tax Court. The Court has five justices: one chief justice and four associate justices. These justices are chosen based on their qualifications. Most cases in Indiana are decided by trial courts, with only about 1 percent going to the Supreme Court. Between 2023 and 2024, the Supreme Court received 748 new cases.

Indiana Court of Appeals

The Court of Appeals is Indiana's second-highest court. It reviews appeals delivered by the state's trial courts and some state agencies. The Court doesn't hold any trials and is required to approve each of the appeals that come to it, except in certain cases, including:

• Cases that include either the death penalty or instances where life without parole is given to the defendant. It's important to note that these are appealed by the Indiana Supreme Court directly;
• Any cases that have statutes declared unconstitutional through any trial court are appealed via the Supreme Court automatically;
• Each disciplinary case against an attorney goes to the Supreme Court;
• All cases that include matters of taxation go to the Indiana Tax Court.

The Court hears cases in groups of three judges. These groups have authority across the state and change every three months. Cases are assigned randomly. Each year, the Court of Appeals writes about 2,000 opinions. A decision made by the Indiana Court of Appeals is final unless the Indiana Supreme Court chooses to review it.

Indiana Tax Court

The State's Tax Court has jurisdiction over cases that arise due to tax laws held by the state of Indiana. The tax court also enjoys jurisdiction over appeals on determinations made by the Indiana Department of Revenue. Appeals to inheritance tax cases are also the jurisdiction of the Indiana Tax Court when those decisions are finalized within the Court of Probate.

Circuit Courts

The type of cases heard by the Circuit Court is set by local rules based on the annual weighted caseload requirements set in place by the Indiana Supreme Court. Circuit Courts may handle civil disputes ranging from contract, personal injury, collection, divorce, child support, estates, administrative appeals, and minor criminal cases such as welfare fraud.

Indiana Superior Courts

In Indiana, the Superior Court generally has jurisdiction over all felony cases. It also handles specific civil and domestic relations cases. The civil matters heard by the Superior Court are usually established by local rules based on the county's weighted caseload.

Indiana Town/City Courts

In Indiana, City and Town Courts are specialized courts that handle specific legal matters, including violations of local ordinances, misdemeanors, and infractions. City Courts usually have 38 judges, whereas Town Courts have 16 judges throughout the state. Judges in these courts are elected through partisan elections by the eligible voters in their respective cities or towns.