By rssfeeds-admin Staff report | April 18, 2025
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Monroe County will lose one of its nine circuit court judgeships at the end of 2026 under legislation advancing through the Indiana General Assembly.
House Bill 1144, which passed the Indiana Senate on Tuesday in a 33-16 vote, includes amendments that reduce judicial resources in several Indiana counties. The bill would lower the number of Monroe County circuit court judges from nine to eight, effective December 31, 2026.
According to the bill, the eliminated judgeship will be determined based on a sequence of conditions: if a judge has been appointed to fill a term ending in 2026, that seat will be abolished. If more than one judge was appointed, the most recent appointment is removed. If no such appointments exist, the judge who received the fewest votes in the 2020 general election will lose their position. The Monroe County Board of Commissioners may also adopt a resolution by January 1, 2026, to designate which eligible judgeship is to be eliminated.
Monroe County constitutes Indiana’s 10th Judicial Circuit. The change comes as part of broader changes to judicial staffing across the state. The bill also removes courts or judgeships in several other counties, including Owen, Blackford, Carroll, Gibson, Greene, Jennings, Newton, Pulaski, Rush, and Scott counties. Six magistrates will also be removed from Marion County’s juvenile court.
Meanwhile, the legislation increases judicial capacity in Hamilton, Elkhart, Vigo, and Lawrence counties, adding new courts and magistrates to support growing caseloads in those areas.
The bill now heads to a conference committee where lawmakers from both chambers will reconcile differences before the legislation can proceed to the governor’s desk. If enacted, changes would begin taking effect on July 1, 2025.
https://iga.in.gov/pdf-documents/124/2025/house/bills/HB1144/HB1144.06.ENGS.pdf
The post Monroe County to Lose One Judgeship Under Statehouse Bill first appeared on The Bloomingtonian.
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