INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (June 23, 2022):  On May 25, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated United States Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Indiana Doris L. Pryor as Circuit Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.  If she is confirmed by the United States Senate, there will be a second United States Magistrate Judge vacancy in the Southern District of Indiana.

See the Press Release for full details.

PRESS RELEASE
United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
Roger A. G. Sharpe, Clerk of Court
46 E. Ohio St.
Room 105
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Attorney Training and CLE Opportunity Announced:
Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence Satellite Attorney Recruitment & Training Program

INDIANAPOLIS (June 1, 2022) – 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 training will take place on Wednesday, July 13, 2022, at 10:00am EST/ 9:00am CST in the Jury Assembly Room of the Birch Bayh Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse, 46 E. Ohio St., Indianapolis, Indiana. A Zoom option will be available to those who are unable to travel to the Courthouse. The session will last 1.5 hours.

In 1994, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act ("VAWA"). This Act, and the 1996 additions to the Act, recognize that domestic violence is a national crime and that federal laws can also help an overburdened state and local criminal justice system. The goal of the training program is to increase attorney awareness and participation in the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence's (ICADV) Satellite Attorney Program, which provides representation to victims of domestic violence. Attorneys will gain the knowledge needed to provide civil legal assistance to survivors of domestic violence for a modest means hourly rate. The training will be provided by ICADV's legal counsel, Kerry Hyatt Bennett, JD. Opening remarks will be given by the Honorable Tanya Walton Pratt, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.

The court's participation in this training event results from the 2018 passage of the POWER Act, a federal law that requires District Courts to participate in one event each year that promotes "pro bono legal services as a critical way in which to empower survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and engaging citizens in assisting those survivors." The court is happy to partner with ICADV to support this important effort.

Attendance for this event is limited to practicing attorneys in the State of Indiana. There is no cost to attend the training and 1.5 hours of Continuing Legal Education credit has been approved.
Registration is required for this event and space is limited. Please RSVP by Friday, July 8, to INSD_CLE@insd.uscourts.gov. For more information, please contact Mary Giorgio at mary_giorgio@insd.uscourts.gov.
 

Pursuant to unanimous votes by the Facility Security Committees for the federal courthouses in the Southern District of Indiana, Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt today issued a General Order, effective March 7, 2022, stating that people are recommended, but no longer required, to wear face coverings or maintain physical distance while entering and occupying the public spaces of the federal courthouses in the Southern District of Indiana. All members of the public entering the courthouses will be asked health screening questions by the court security officers.

The General Order contains provisions allowing tenant agencies in the courthouses to determine the face covering and social distancing policies in their own spaces. Judges have the authority to determine such policies in their courtrooms, chambers, and any other spaces in which a court proceeding is being conducted, including at naturalization ceremonies.

All persons summoned for jury service, and court staff interacting with such persons, must wear face coverings while in rooms and public spaces designated for juror check-in, orientation, and related activities until such persons enter a courtroom, at which time the rules and requirements of the presiding Judge take effect.

The Court will continue to accept filings from pro se litigants via email. Information on how to do so can be found in a previous General Order. Drop boxes for filings also remain accessible at all courthouses.

The District Court has also created a COVID-19 response page on its website that contains all orders, press releases, and other information regarding Court operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 response page will be updated with the above changes on Monday, March 7, 2022.

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana is pleased to announce Jimmie McMillian, Senior Corporate Counsel and Chief Diversity Officer for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, NTT Indy Car Series, and IMS Productions, as the speaker at its 23rd annual Black History Month event. This year's hour-long program, The Struggle that Made Us: The Journeys of African American Leaders from Personal Failure to Triumph, will be held virtually on Friday, February 18, 2022, at 2:00 PM. Full details and registration information can be found in the Press Release.