The Senate Judiciary Committee heard HB 1322 concerning trial court jurisdiction sponsored by Sen. Steele. The bill specifies that circuit courts, superior courts, and probate courts have original and concurrent jurisdiction under certain provisions of the Indiana Code. This bill is a follow-up to legislation adopted in 2011 on this general topic.
Judge Mary Willis, Henry Circuit Court No. 1, testified in favor of the bill on behalf of the Judicial Conference of Indiana and the Indiana Judges Association. The bill was amended to allow the Public Defender Commission to hire staff to support the commission rather than staff provided by the Division of State Court Administration. The bill passed 6-0.
Read the bill at http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2016/bills/house/1322