During the months of March, April, May, and June 2020, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana issued several General Orders regarding Court operations in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. These orders, among other things, closed all Courthouses in the Southern District of Indiana to the public, continued all jury trials, cancelled all naturalization ceremonies, and discussed delays caused by criminal trial continuances with respect to the Speedy Trial Act. To the extent this Order differs from previous orders of the Court on this subject, this Order supersedes and replaces those Orders. Plesae see General Order linked below outlining details regarding Civil Service by United States Marshals Service, In-Person Proceedings, Speedy Trial Act, and Naturalization Ceremonies.
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News & Announcements: 06/2020
Check this page, or the News and Announcements box on the homepage, for the latest official news and announcements released by the court. You can also access archived news and announcements from this page.
On March 18, 2020 and March 20, 2020, the Court issued General Orders closing all Courthouses in the Southern District of Indiana to the public, finding that closure was warranted in light of the risks presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. To the extent this Order differs from previous orders of the Court on this subject, this Order supersedes and replaces those Orders. Please see General Order linked below outlining the details on courthouses reopening.
Chief Judge Jane E. Magnus-Stinson today issued two General Orders, one that announces date on which the courthouses of the Southern District of Indiana will reopen to the public, and the second providing dates for the resumption of an array of in-person court proceedings, among other matters. To the extent these Orders differ from previous orders of the Court on this subject, these Orders supersede and replace those Orders. Please see Press Release linked below for more details.
Due to the threat to public health and safety currently posed by COVID-19 and the related coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control and other public health and governmental authorities have advised individuals and entities to take precautions to slow the spread of COVID-19, including recommending the wearing of face coverings in public settings. Upon consideration of this public health guidance, it is necessary to require entrants and occupants of all courthouses in the Southern District of Indiana to wear face coverings. Please see General Order linked below.
During the months of March, April, and May 2020, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana issued several General Orders regarding Court operations in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. These orders, among other things, continued all jury trials, cancelled all naturalization ceremonies, and discussed delays caused by criminal trial continuances with respect to the Speedy Trial Act. To the extent this Order differs from previous orders of the Court on this subject, this Order supersedes and replaces those prior orders.
Check out PACER’s newly redesigned, informational and resource website, https://pacer.uscourts.gov.
The website provides information about how the public can access federal court records electronically and have easy access to PACER and PACER-related applications. New features include:
• Mobile friendly design;
• New tool to search for court-specific information;
• Interactive format to search frequently asked questions;
• Search engine has been optimized to improve content findability;
• JSON and XML feeds of court-specific information; and
• New accessibility tools.
In addition, two PACER applications—Manage My Account and Registration—have new designs to create an improved user experience.
Email any feedback to the PACER Service Center.
NOTE: The PACER system will be undergoing maintenance on Sunday, June 28, 2020, from 6:45 AM to 6:45 PM ET. Access to certain portions of this site may be temporarily unavailable at various times. Users may continue to access PACER during this maintenance. However, if connectivity issues occur, users should reset their connection or refresh their browser.
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana will sponsor a virtual training session for attorneys on modest means/pro bono representation of victims of domestic violence in Indiana. The CLE will take place on Friday, July 31, 2020 at 11am EST/ 10am CST. Please see the Press Release for full details.
Following a meeting and with the majority vote of the Facility Security Committees for the Birch Bayh Federal Building and United States Courthouse, the Lee H. Hamilton Federal Building and United States Courthouse, the Winfield K. Denton Federal Building and United States Courthouse, and the Terre Haute Federal Courthouse, Chief Judge Jane E. Magnus-Stinson today issued a General Order that requires entrants and occupants of said courthouses to wear face coverings. Please read the Press Release linked below for more details.
Following a June 4, 2020, meeting of the district judges, the Honorable Jane E. Magnus-Stinson, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, today issued a General Order that supersedes previous General Orders, to the extent that they conflict, issued in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, and specifically within the Southern District of Indiana.
This order allows for the resumption in all divisions of limited in-person criminal proceedings, effective June 15, 2020. All four federal courthouses in the Southern District of Indiana remain closed to the public. The public may access these proceedings by telephone as set forth by Order in each case. Individuals who are necessary participants in any in-person proceeding will be permitted entry into the courthouse for these proceedings and will be subject to the screening and other requirements set forth in General Orders issued on March 20, 2020, and May 20, 2020, and any other General Orders issued by the Court.
Jury trials remain continued through and including at least July 20, 2020, and naturalization ceremonies are cancelled through and including at least July 6, 2020. The Central Violations Bureau dockets in all divisions are continued through at least September 1, 2020. Payments will continue to be processed via pay.gov.
Read the Press Release for full details.