Ind. Sup. Ct. Order Amending Rules: order-rules-2026-26S-MS-8-AdminRules

In the

Indiana Supreme Court

Cause No. 26S-MS-8

Order Amending Administrative Rules

The Judicial Conference of Indiana’s Judicial Resources Committee proposed an

amendment to Administrative Rule 1(E) to expand the authority of a judicial officer to serve in

other courts.

The Court has considered the proposed amendment. Under this Court’s authority to

establish procedures and supervise the administration of all courts in the state, Administrative

Rule 1(E) is amended as set forth in Exhibit A to this order (deletions shown by strikethrough

and new text shown by underlining).

This amendment is effective July 1, 2026.

Done at Indianapolis, Indiana, on ___________ .

Loretta H. Rush

Chief Justice of Indiana

All Justices concur.

6/1/2026

Exhibit A

Indiana Administrative Rules

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Rule 1. Preparation and Filing of Statistical Reports

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(E) Statewide, County, and Judicial District Caseload Plans; Authority of Judicial

Officer to Serve in Other Courts. The judges of the courts of record in each county must,

by a local rule, develop and implement a caseload allocation plan for the county that

ensures an even distribution of judicial caseloads among the judges of the courts of record

in the county. The judges of the courts of record in each judicial district (established by

Administrative Rule 3) may, by local rule, develop a district caseload allocation plan that

allows for the efficient adjudication of cases within the district. Upon request of the Judicial

Conference of Indiana, IOJA, Supreme Court, or another judicial officer in a court of record,

a judicial officer of a court of record within a county or district may serve as acting judge in

any matter in any other court of record in the statewithin the judicial officer's county,

district, and contiguous counties. The acting judge serves as if the judicial officer were the

elected judge in that court. The authority to serve as acting judge applies even when the

regular judge of the other court is present and available in the building that contains the

court.

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