Ind. Sup. Ct. Order Approving Local Rules: order-local-rules-2025-25S-MS-215

In the

Indiana Supreme Court

In the Matter of the Approval of Local

Rules for Washington County

Supreme Court Case No.

25S-MS-215

Order Approving Amended Local Rules

The Judges of the Washington Circuit and Superior Courts request the approval of

amended local rules for caseload allocation in accordance with Administrative Rule 1(E) and

for criminal special judge assignments in accordance with Administrative Rule 21. Attached to

this Order are the proposed amended local rules.

Upon examination of the proposed rule amendments requested by the Washington Circuit

and Superior Courts, this Court finds that the proposed amendments to LR88-AR01-1 and

LR88-AR01-9 comply with the requirements of Administrative Rule 1(E), and the amendments

to LR88-AR21-4 and LR88-AR21-5 comply with Administrative Rule 21, and, accordingly,

should be approved.

IT IS, THEREFORE, ORDERED by this Court that amended Local Rules, LR88-AR01-

1, LR88-AR01-9, LR88-AR21-4, and LR88-AR21-5, for the Washington Circuit and Superior

Courts, set forth as attachments to this Order, are approved effective January 1, 2026.

Done at Indianapolis, Indiana, on ___________ .

Loretta H. Rush

Chief Justice of Indiana

8/20/2025

LR88-AR01-1 – CRIMINAL CASE ASSIGNMENT

All criminal cases containing any of the following counts shall be assigned to the

Washington Superior Court

A. Alcohol Offense

B. Burglary

C. Check Deception

D. Controlled Substance Offense

E. Conversion

F. Forgery

G. Fraud

H. Non-support of a Dependent

I. Receiving Stolen Property

J. Residential Entry

K. Resisting Law Enforcement

L. Robbery

M. Theft

N. Vehicular Offenses

All other criminal cases and all infractions shall be assigned to the Washington Circuit

Court.

LR88-AR01-9 – CASELOAD ALLOCATION

Pursuant to Administrative Rule 1(E), the Clerk of the Washington County Circuit and

Superior Courts shall assign cases as follows beginning January 1, 2023:

Superior Court

1. All Pro Se Civil matters

2. Approximately one-half of the Pro Se Dissolutions cases, assigned month to month with the

Superior starting with the month of January.

3. Criminal Actions INVOLVING:

Alcohol, Drugs, Non-Support of Dependents,

Fraud, Forgery, Check Deception, Robbery,

Burglary, Residential Entry, Conversion, Theft,

Receiving Stolen Property, Resisting Law Enforcement,

Vehicular Offences

4. Approximately one-half of the Protective Orders cases, assigned month to month with the

Superior starting in January. Protective Order cases involving parties in any Dissolution or

separation case shall go to that Court.

5. Approximately one-half of pro se Small Claims and Eviction cases, assigned month to month

with Superior starting in February

6. Attorneys may designate the Court in:

7. All Juvenile Delinquency Matters

8. All Guardianships

Circuit Court

1. All Adoptions

2. All Mental Health Matters

3. All Child in Need of Services Matters

4. All Paternity Actions

5. All Infractions, including vehicular

6. All Petitions for Hardship Driver’s License

7. All Estates

8. All Mortgage Foreclosure Matters

9. Criminal Actions NOT designated for filing in Superior Court under this Rule

10. Approximately one-half of the Protective Orders cases, assigned month to month with

Circuit starting in February. Protective Order cases involving parties in a Dissolution or

separation case shall go to that Court

11. Approximately one-half of pro se Small Claims and Eviction cases, assigned month to month

with Circuit, starting in January

12. All Commercial Court Eligible

13. All Review of Administrative Agency Decision

Circuit or Superior Court

Attorneys may designate the Court in:

a. Civil Matters, including Small Claims and Evictions

b. Dissolutions and Separation Actions

c. Red Flag

d. Grandparent Visitation

LR88-AR21-4 – REASSIGNMENT OF CRIMINAL CASES

In the event it becomes necessary to appoint a criminal special judge under AR 21 of the

Indiana Administrative Rules, the judge before whom the case is pending shall send notice of

the need for the appointment of a special judge to the District’s administrative judge who shall

then make such assignment within five (5) days of receiving said notice.

Except as set out in LR88-AR21-5, when a motion for change of judge has been granted

in a criminal case, and in instances where a judge recuses or is disqualified, a special judge shall

be selected as set out in from the following:

(1) Clark Circuit #1

(2) Clark Circuit #2

(3) Clark Circuit #3

(4) Clark Circuit #4

(5) Clark Superior #5

(6) Clark Superior #6

(7) Clark Magistrate A

(8) Clark Magistrate B

(9) Clark Magistrate C

(10) Clark Magistrate D

(11) Clark Superior

(12) Crawford Circuit

(13) Floyd Circuit

(14) Floyd Superior #1

(15) Floyd Superior #2

(16) Floyd Superior #3

(17) Floyd Magistrate

(18) Harrison Circuit

(19) Harrison Superior

(20) Jackson Circuit

(21) Jackson Superior

(22) Lawrence Circuit

(23) Lawrence Superior I

(24) Lawrence Superior II

(25) Orange Circuit

(26) Orange Superior

(27) Scott Circuit

(28) Scott Superior

(29) Scott Magistrate

(30) Washington Circuit

(31) Washington Superior

(32) Senior Judges approved for the requesting Court

LR88-AR21-5 – APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL JUDGE IN CRIMINAL CASES BY

INDIANA SUPREME COURT

In the event no judge is available for assignment or reassignment of a felony or

misdemeanor case, such case shall be certified to the Indiana Supreme Court for the

appointment of a special judge. In the event the judge presiding in a felony or misdemeanor

case concludes that the unique circumstances presented in such proceedings require

appointment by the Indiana Supreme Court of a special judge, the presiding judge may ask the

Indiana Supreme Court to make that appointment.