Summary
The Indiana Office of Court Services and the Indiana Association of Circuit Court Clerks both provide resources, training, and guidance for elected judges and clerks. The large volume of information a judge or clerk needs to effectively perform their office is significant. Countless rules, statutes and standards directly impact the daily work of both judges and clerks who must become familiar with and utilize them on a regular basis.
This manual, divided into categories of summary information on each topic, provides an introduction to issues that judges and clerks most often confront. Each topic contains links to the full text of Indiana Supreme Court and Court of Appeals opinions, Indiana Code text and Indiana Supreme Court rules, forms, and other publications and resources.
Rules and statutes are frequently amended. While these documents are available in PDF format for easy printing, the files on this website will always be the most up-to-date version available.
The last page of each document references the most up-to date version.
Case Initiation & Filings
- Initiating a Case & Assigning a Case Number [Admin. Rule 8 & Trial Rule 3]
- Appearances [Trial Rule 3.1 and Criminal Rule 2.1]
- Filing: What & When is it Officially a Part of the Court File [Trial Rule 5(E), (F) & (G)]
- Tax Sale Filings: Assigning a Case Number
Court Rules
- Caseload Allocation Plans [Admin. Rule 1(E)]
- District and Local Rules: Primer for Adoption, Repeal or Amendment [Trial Rule 81]
Judicial Officers: Authority & Responsibility
- Interpreter Bench Card
- Court Closures [Trial Rule 72 and I.C. 33-32-2-4]
- Judge Pro Tempore [Trial Rule 63]
- Senior Judges [Admin. Rule 5(B)]
- Mandate of Funds [Trial Rule 60.5]
- Judge's Role in Lawyer Admission & Discipline [Admins. & Disc. Rules 2, 23, & 27]
- High Profile & Complex Litigation: Complication Reduction
- Waiving Judicial Disqualification
Procedural Issues
- Transfer & Venue [Trial Rules 12, 75, 76 & 78]
- Change of Judge for Civil & Criminal Cases [Trial Rules 76 & 79]
- Failure to Rule on a Motion & Delay of Judgments [Trial Rules 53.1 & 53.2]
- Trial De Novo [Trial De Novo Rules & I.C. 33-35-5-9]
- Contempt Benchcard [I.C. 34-47-2]
Special Processes & Procedures
- Procedures for Cases Involving Family or Household Members [Trial Rule 81.1]
- Processing Tax Warrants [I.C. 6-8.1-8.2]
- Depositing Wills with the Circuit Court Clerk [I.C. 29-1-7-3.1 & 5-14-3]
- Will Record
- Protection Orders & Protection Order Registry [I.C. 34-26-5 & 5-2-9]
- Processing Motor Vehicle Violations
- Marriage License E-file System [INcite]
- Jury Management System [INcite]
- Driving Privileges
- Problem Solving Courts [Problem Solving Court Rules & I.C. 33-23-16]
- Court Administered Drug and Alcohol Programs
- Guardianships
Court & Clerk Records: Access & Maintenance
- Access to Court Records Quick Reference Benchcard
- Access to Court Records Rule 5
- Confidentiality & Sealed Cases [Admin. Rule 5 & I.C. 5-14-3-5.5]
- The CCS & RJO [Trial Rule 77]
- Trial Rule 77 Quick Guide
- Amended or Corrected Judgments or Orders
- Notice of Rulings, Orders & Judgments [Trial Rule 72(D)]
- Judgment Docket Book [I.C. 33-32-3-2]
- Criminal Case Judgments & Report of Case Disposition [Criminal Rule 15.1 & I.C.10-13-3-25]
- Electronic Abstract of Judgment [INcite]
- Document Imaging & Microfilming Standards [Admin. Rule 6]
- Judicial Record Retention Schedules [Admin. Rule 7]
- Requests for Bulk Distribution & Compiled Information [Admin. Rule 9(F)]
- Requests for Access to Court Hearing Records [Admin. Rule 9(G), 10 & I.C. 5-14-3]
- Protocol for Transfer of Records when Court Abolished [I.C. 34-28-5-15]
- Public Access to Paternity Case Information
- Public Access to Microfilmed Records Containing Expunged Case Records [Admin. Rule 9(H)]
- Lis Pendens Notice
- TR 74 Recording Equipment Guidance
Expungements: Juvenile & Criminal
- Expungement Detailed
- The Expungement Statutes [I.C. 35-38-9, 31-39-8 & 34-28-5]
- Expungement: Digest for judges
- Expungement: Digest for court staff and clerks
- Expungement: Digest on orders
Statistics
- Statistical Reports: Quarterly & Annual Reports [Admin. Rules 1 & 2]
- Weighted Caseload Measures & Quarterly Case Status Reports [Admin. Rule 1]
- Mental Health Adjudication Reporting
- CIP Timeliness Measures [Admin. Rule 1(F)]
Appeals & Appellate Decisions
- Motions to Proceed in Forma Pauperis [Appellate Rule 40]
- Notice of Completion of Clerk's Record in Appeals [Appellate Rule 10(C)]
- Courts Reporters & Transcript Preparation [Appellate Rule 15]
- Transcripts in Appeals [Appellate Rules 28, 29, & 30]
- Notice of Completion of Transcript in Appeals [Appellate Rules 10(D)]
- Motions for Extensions of Time in Appeals [Appellate Rules 10E and 11(C)]
- Interlocutory Appeals [Appellate Rule 14]
- Certification of Appellate & Memorandum Decisions [Appellate Rule 65(E)]
Dealing with Emergencies
- Emergency Petitions for Administrative Orders [Admin. Rule 17]