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Court administration asks Marion County to fund a family court case manager as judge vacancies and caseloads grow
Summary
Court leaders told commissioners Marion County requested a new family court case manager to support pro se filers and caseflow; judges said the circuit is also likely to receive new judges from the legislature, increasing space and staffing needs at the courthouse.
Jeff Fuller, court administrator, and Judge Rogers presented the court administration budget and asked commissioners to approve one new family court case manager in the circuit court program specialist line.
Fuller said the primary budget increase is the proposed family court case manager to assist with pro se litigants so cases reach hearings without procedural gaps. "If we don't have the case managers, things get set for hearings and then when they get to the hearing they realize somebody hasn't been served or something's not signed the right way," Fuller said, pointing to repeat procedural delays that slow caseflow.
Judges also briefed the commission on expected growth in judicial staffing. Judge Rogers said the legislature and governor approved 39 new judges statewide; the circuit is likely to receive at least one county judge and possibly a new circuit judge. He described space constraints in the courthouse and said the court will seek a capital improvement plan to build out the third floor and additional courtroom and chamber space.
Alina Stutoff, program lead for the problem-solving courts, summarized treatment-court outcomes and cost-avoidance estimates: for fiscal 2023-24, using conservative assumptions, treatment courts' reduction in jail-days equated to roughly $719,651 in jail-cost avoidance (25% of expected time-served); treatment programs reported a roughly 71% success rate in criminal programs and 88% in juvenile programs.
Commissioners thanked court staff, asked for a legislative outreach package and return materials showing outcomes and cost-benefit data for the case manager request.
Why it matters: judges said both caseload growth and new judicial authorizations will increase demand for courtroom space and case management capacity; commissioners were asked to fund county-level positions that support statutorily created judicial duties and to help the circuit lobby for state-funded support.
