Ind. Sup. Ct. Order Approving Local Rules: order-local-rules-2025-25S-MS-195

In the

Indiana Supreme Court

In the Matter of the Approval of Local

Rules for Orange County

Supreme Court Case No.

25S-MS-195

Order Approving Amended Local Rule

The Judges of the Orange Circuit and Superior Courts request the approval of an amended

local rule for caseload allocation in accordance with Administrative Rule 1(E). Attached to this

Order is the proposed amended local rule.

Upon examination of the proposed rule amendments requested by the Orange Circuit and

Superior Courts, this Court finds that the proposed amendments to LR59-AR00-1 comply with

the requirements of Administrative Rule 1(E), and, accordingly, should be approved.

IT IS, THEREFORE, ORDERED by this Court that amended Local Rule, LR59-AR00-1,

for the Orange Circuit and Superior Courts, set forth as an attachment to this Order, is approved

effective January 1, 2026.

Done at Indianapolis, Indiana, on ___________ .

Loretta H. Rush

Chief Justice of Indiana

7/29/2025

LR59-AR00-1

CASELOADS

The Courts of Orange County, Indiana adopt the following local rule in regard to

caseloads pursuant to Administrative Rule 1(E).

1. Unless precluded by state statute or state court rule, the following types of causes

shall be filed exclusively in the Orange Superior Court:

a. Infractions (“IF” cause numbers),

b. Ordinance Violations (“OV” and “OE” cause numbers),

c. Criminal Misdemeanors (“CM” cause numbers),

d. Criminal Level 6 Felonies (“F6” cause numbers),

e. Protective Orders (“PO” cause numbers),

f. Small Claims in which the debt or damage claimed, or value of the

property sought does not exceed the jurisdictional amount of $10,000.00

(“SC” cause numbers),

g. Civil Plenary Cases in which the debt or damage claimed, or value of the

property sought does not exceed $10,000.00 (“PL” cause numbers),

h. Civil Collection Cases in which the debt or damage claimed, or value of

the property sought does not exceed $10,000.00 (“CC” cause numbers),

i. Domestic Relations cases filed between July 1st and December 31st

inclusive (“DC” and “DN” cause numbers),

j. Miscellaneous Civil cases in which the debt or damage claimed, or the

value of the property sought does not exceed $10,000.00, and which do

not seek injunctive relief (“MI” cause numbers), and

k. Eviction (“EV” cause number) inclusive of cases placed on small claims

docket and civil collection docket.

2. Unless precluded by state statute or state court rule, Miscellaneous Criminal

cases (“MC” cause numbers) including but not limited to Search Warrants may

be filed in either the Orange Circuit or Superior Courts.

3. Unless precluded by state statute or state court rule, Red Flag cases (“RF” cause

numbers) will be assigned to Judges configured to hear “MC” cases and may be

filed in either the Orange Circuit or Superior Courts.

4. Unless precluded by state statute or state court rule, Petitions to Expunge

Convictions, Petitions to Seal Criminal Records, and Petitions for Specialized

Driving Privileges (“MI” cause numbers) shall be filed in that Court that entered

the conviction or license suspension at issue. Petitions for Specialized Driving

Privileges in regard to license suspensions imposed by the Indiana Bureau of

Motor Vehicles (“MI” cause numbers) may be filed in either the Orange Circuit

or Superior Courts.

5. Petitions for Post Conviction Relief (“PC” cause numbers) seeking relief from a

prior Judgment of the Orange Circuit Court shall be filed in the Orange Circuit

Court. Petitions for Post Conviction Relief (“PC” cause numbers) seeking relief

from a prior Judgment of the Orange Superior Court or Orange County Court

shall be filed in the Orange Superior Court.

6. Unless precluded by state statute or state court rule, all other causes shall be filed

exclusively in the Orange Circuit Court.

7. This rule does not preclude the following filings in the Orange Circuit Court:

a. Petitions for Protective Orders (“PO” cause numbers, when litigation

between the same parties is pending in the Orange Circuit Court, or when

the Respondent in the Protective Order is a juvenile.

b. Criminal Level 6 Felonies and Misdemeanors filed as counts to a more

serious criminal charge filed in the Orange Circuit Court (“MR”, “F1”,

“F2”, “F3”, “F4”, and “F5” cause numbers), and

c. Criminal Level 6 Felonies (“F6” cause numbers) and Criminal

Misdemeanors (“CM” cause numbers) filed when the same Defendant

has more serious criminal charges pending in the Orange Circuit Court.