The Senate Judiciary Committee heard SB 58 concerning Pulaski superior court and Sullivan magistrate authored and presented by Sen. Steele. The bill would eliminate the power to appoint a magistrate in Sullivan County effective July 1, 2015, and would eliminate the Pulaski Superior Court on December 31, 2018.
After describing the process for requesting new judicial resources and the role of the weighted caseload system, Sen. Steele indicated the weighted caseload information shows these counties with underutilized judicial resources and weighted caseload information should also be used to eliminate unneeded resources and would allow the fiscal resources to be redirected to those counties with greater need. Supporting testimony was received from the Republican County Chairman for Sullivan Co. Opposing testimony was received from Judge Robert Hunley, Sullivan Circuit Court, Judge Hugh Hunt, Sullivan Superior Court, Judge Patrick Blankenship, Pulaski Superior Court, a Pulaski County Prosecutor, and the Pulaski County Bar Association President. Those testifying in opposition encouraged the Committee to take more time to study the issues, and allow the courts to work within their judicial district to help alleviate need in other courts that are in need of judicial resources.
After committee discussion, the bill as introduced was voted on, but did not pass for a lack of a majority vote. The Committee then took a verbal amendment, by consent, to maintain the language for Sullivan County and send the issue involving Pulaski County to a study committee. The amended bill passed 10-0.
Read the bill at http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2015/bills/senate/58.