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News & Announcements

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.

Fri, 2020-06-26

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.

Tue, 2020-06-16

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.

Fri, 2020-06-12

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.

  Press Release: General Order Re: Face Coverings in Courthouses Under the Exigent Circumstances Created by COVID-19 and Related Coronavirus

Fri, 2020-06-05

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. 

Wed, 2020-05-20

The Court’s General Orders issued on March 18, 2020, and March 20, 2020, remain in effect, but they are amended. To the extent this Order differs from previous Orders of the Court on this subject, this Order supersedes and replaces those Orders.  First, persons under supervision by the United States Probation Office are permitted to report to courthouses for specific supervision activities (e.g., drug testing) as directed by the United States Probation Office.  Second, other individuals (e.g., vendors) will be permitted to enter courthouses when necessary for continued court operations on an as needed basis.  Third, individuals required to participate in scheduled Court proceedings will be permitted to enter courthouses.  Please see General Order linked below for full details.

  General Order Re: Closure of Court Facilities to the Public Related to COVID-19

Tue, 2020-05-12

The Southern District of Indiana issues a new General Order ruling that normal court operations cannot be resumed at this time without presenting substantial health risks to the public because of COVID-19 and the related Coronavirus.  Accordingly, effective immediately, no in-person proceedings shall occur until June 15, 2020, except under emergency circumstances as ordered in a particular case. This date is subject to change, depending upon the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in each of the Court's four divisions.  All jury trials are continued through and including at least July 20, 2020, and through and including at least June 15, 2020, all Court-officiated naturalization ceremonies are cancelled. Please see the General Order linked below for further details.

  General Order Re: Continued Court Operations Under the Exigent Circumstances Created by COVID-19 and the Related Coronavirus

Tue, 2020-05-12

Chief Judge Jane E. Magnus-Stinson announced that Roger A. G. Sharpe has been sworn in to serve as Clerk of Court, effective May 11, 2020. Mr. Sharpe fills the vacancy created by the retirement of former Clerk Laura A. Briggs. Please see the Press Release for full details. 

Tue, 2020-05-12

Following a May 7, 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 issued in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, and specifically within the Southern District of Indiana. Please read the General Order for specific details. This order continues jury trials through and including at least July 20, 2020; provides enhanced administrative authority for Jury staff to defer service for certain categories of jurors through August 24, 2020; provides for excludable time pursuant to the Speedy Trial Act upon particularized findings; and cancels naturalization ceremonies through and including at least June 15, 2020.  Please click on the Press Release link below for more details.

   Press Release:  General Order Re: Continued Court Operations Under the Exigent Circumstances Created by COVID-19 and Related Coronavirus

Tue, 2020-04-14

The Honorable Jane E. Magnus-Stinson, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, yesterday issued a General Order that supersedes previous General Orders issued in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, and specifically within the Southern District of Indiana. Please read the General Order for specific details.  This order continues jury trials through and including at least May 29, 2020; provides enhanced administrative authority for Jury staff to defer service for certain categories of jurors through June 30, 2020; provides for excludable time pursuant to the Speedy Trial Act upon particularized findings; and cancels naturalization ceremonies through and including at least May 29, 2020.  Please see Press Release linked below for more information.

  Press Release:  General Order Re: Continued Court Operations Under the Exigent Circumstances Created by COVID-19 and Related Coronavirus

Mon, 2020-04-13

The Southern District of Indiana issues a new General Order ruling that normal court operations cannot be resumed at this time without presenting substantial health risks to the public because of COVID-19 and the related Coronavirus.  Accordingly, effective immediately, all jury trial are continued through and including May 29, 2020, and all court-officiated naturalization ceremonies are cancelled through and including May 29, 2020.  Please see the General Order linked below for further details.

  General Order Re: Continued Court Operations Under the Exigent Circumstances Created by COVID-19 and Related Coronavirus

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