Judiciary committee advances House Bill 1144 with amendments on small‑claims, juvenile and specialty courts; recommitted to appropriations

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced House Bill 1144, the biennial courts bill, to the Appropriations Committee after adopting multiple amendments that would add or reclassify judgeships, adjust small‑claims eviction venue rules in Marion County and create a Family Recovery Court fund.

Representative Jeter introduced House Bill 1144, saying, “I’m here to bring to you House Bill 11 44 which is our our biannual courts bill.” He told the committee the interim committee on the judiciary had “unanimously approved 9 out of the 10 new courts that were requested.”

The bill drew a series of amendments addressing local court needs. Senator Freeman offered an amendment (No. 6) to incorporate provisions from Senate Bill 327 to raise a Marion County small‑claims filing fee by $26 and share the filing fee among nine township small‑claims courts; Freeman said the change would “share the entire filing fee among the 9 township courts.” That amendment was adopted by consent.

Senator Glick presented an amendment (No. 3) affecting Steuben County that would convert a magistrate position into a superior court judgeship to address a local conflict of interest following the death of a long‑serving circuit court judge and to provide an additional superior court to hear criminal cases generated in the county. Senator Glick described the change as “a minimal cost to the state of Indiana but will assist Steuben County greatly in getting co equal…