IN THE
IN THE MATTER OF )
)
APPROVAL OF )
) Case No. 46S00-0401-MS-44
LOCAL RULES FOR )
)
LAPORTE COUNTY )
ORDER APPROVING AMENDMENT TO
The judges of the LaPorte Circuit and Superior Courts request the approval of an amendment to the LaPorte County Local Rule 1, which provides for non-discretionary filing of criminal cases and attempts to address caseload disparity between the LaPorte Circuit Court and the LaPorte Superior Court III, pursuant to the 1999 Order of this Court requiring trial courts to address caseload disparity. This amendment establishes a geographic line of demarcation to determine whether a particular category of case is assigned to the LaPorte Circuit Court or to the LaPorte Superior Court III.
Upon examination of the local rule, this Court finds that the rule amendment attempts to address a disparity in caseload as required by Order of this Court and, accordingly, should be approved.
IT IS, THEREFORE, ORDERED by this Court that the Amendment to LaPorte County Local Rule 1, set forth as an attachment to this Order, is now approved, effective February 1, 2004.
The Clerk of this Court is directed to forward a copy of this Order to the Honorable Robert W. Gilmore, LaPorte Circuit Court, to the Honorable Walter Chapala, LaPorte Superior Court 1, to the Honorable Steven E. King, LaPorte Superior Court 2, to the Honorable Paul J. Baldoni, LaPorte Superior Court 3, and to the Honorable William J. Boklund, LaPorte Superior Court 4, and to the Clerk of the LaPorte Circuit and Superior Courts.
The Clerk of the LaPorte Circuit and Superior Courts is directed to place a copy of this Order in the Record of Judgments and Orders for all courts of record in the county and to post this Order for public examination.
DONE at Indianapolis, Indiana, this _____ day of January, 2004.
__________________________
Randall T. Shepard
Chief Justice of Indiana