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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, 2025-10-17
Pre-Lapse in Appropriations Notice to Contractors

The U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana is issuing this notice to apprise contractors of Judiciary-wide plans regarding contract actions that may be necessary if contract funding is affected by a lapse in appropriations, better known as a federal government shutdown. 

Unless notified in writing by a contracting officer, all Judiciary contractors must continue to fulfill their contractual obligations to the Judiciary in the event of a government shutdown, i.e., contractors must continue to comply with all terms, conditions, and delivery and performance requirements specified in their contracts during the period covered by a lapse in appropriations.

The Judiciary will not provide a separate notification or communication for contracts that will not be affected by the lapse in appropriations.

The budget for the 2026 fiscal year has not yet been enacted, which could result in a temporary loss of funding for contracted supplies and services and limit the Judiciary’s ability to manage its contracts.

If a government shutdown occurs, non-excepted government activities will cease and performance under contracts may be affected. A shutdown, a sovereign act of the government, may prevent contractors and the Judiciary from fulfilling their contractual obligations to each other due to circumstances beyond their control. In other cases, the government may cancel planned procurements, reduce the scope of contracts, stop work under contracts, or terminate contracts.

Should Judiciary contracting officers determine that any of these actions is necessary, or that contractors or the Judiciary will be unable to fulfill their obligations due to a shutdown, a contracting officer will provide contractors with prompt notice and instructions for each affected contract.  

Thank you for your continued support and business with the federal Judiciary, and for your cooperation as we work together to manage a potential lapse in appropriations.

Fri, 2025-10-03
Public Notice Re: Immediate Amendments to Local Rules

Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2071(e), Rule 83 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and Rule 57 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana hereby gives public notice of the following:  The United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana has determined there is an immediate need to amend Local Rule 5-11 – Filing Under Seal – Civil Cases and Local Criminal Rule 49.1-2 – Filing Under Seal. The amendments detailed in the Notice linked below are effective as of October 3, 2025. 

  Public Notice Re: Immediate Amendments to Local Rules

Wed, 2025-10-01
Notice Re: Court Operations During Lapse in Federal Appropriations

During the current lapse in federal appropriations, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana will remain open for business and will maintain sufficient staffing as necessary to continue to support the court's constitutional and statutory obligations. Absent further order, all trials and hearings will proceed as scheduled. Electronic case filing will remain available through CM/ECF and all filing deadlines will remain in effect.

Wed, 2025-09-24
Public Announcement Re: Electronic Access to Sealed Documents and Service of Sealed Documents

Chief Judge James R. Sweeney II today issued a general order reflecting a nationwide change in how sealed documents may be accessed electronically. Effective immediately, only authorized court employees will have access to sealed documents in CM/ECF.  Please see the full Public Announcement linked below.

  Public Announcement Re: Electronic Access to Sealed Documents and Service of Sealed Documents

Mon, 2025-09-15
Public Notice Re: Proposed Amendments to Local Rules

Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2071, Rule 83 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and Rule 57 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana hereby gives public notice of the following: The Local Rules Advisory Committee for the Southern District of Indiana has recommended, and the District Court has authorized release for a period of public comment through October 14, 2025, the revision of certain Local Rules of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.  Please see the Public Notice linked below for more details.

  Public Notice Re: Proposed Amendments to Local Rules

Fri, 2025-07-11
Hon. James R. Sweeney II Named Chief Judge

Effective July 11, 2025, the Honorable James R. Sweeney II assumed the role of Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. Chief Judge Sweeney succeeds the Honorable Tanya Walton Pratt, who had served as Chief Judge since March 20, 2021. Please see the Press Release for full details. 

Wed, 2025-06-18
Public Notice Re: Amendments to Local Rules

The Court has considered the recommendation of the Local Rules Advisory Committee that the revision of certain Local Rules of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana be adopted, and the Clerk issued a Public Notice on May 9, 2025, regarding the proposed amendments. Therefore, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2071, Rule 83 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and Rule 57 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana hereby gives public notice that the following amendments to the Local Rules of this Court are adopted, effective July 1, 2025.  Please see the full Public Notice linked below.

  Public Notice Re: Amendments to Local Rules

Fri, 2025-05-02
U.S. District Court Warns of Scam Phone Calls

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana has received reports of scammers posing as local law enforcement officials who call or email potential victims, falsely claiming that the person has an outstanding warrant or has been held in contempt of court.  Sometimes the scammers target professionals—in particular, attorneys or health care providers—and accuse them of allegedly failing to appear as an expert witness at a court hearing or trial.

Recipients of such calls and emails are told they can pay a fine to have the outstanding warrant expunged or avoid arrest. Using threats and scare tactics, the scammers then entice their victim to pay this "fine" with cash cards or other electronic payment. The scammers often spoof real government phone numbers and provide their victim with the names of real law enforcement officers, real court officials, and real judges.  

This is a scam. Real courts and real law enforcement officers will never call or email someone and demand a payment for any reason. If you receive such a call or email, hang up or delete immediately.

Residents of the Southern District of Indiana who believe they have been the victim of such a scam are encouraged to report the incident to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Internet Crime Complaint Center ("IC3") at https://www.ic3.gov, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/. Additional information about this scam is available on the FTC's website.  

Here are some tips on things to remember and what to do if you are contacted by anyone claiming to be a law enforcement officer or court official:

  • Only scammers will call, text, or email demanding that you pay by cash, gift card, cryptocurrency, payment app, or a wire transfer service. No court official or law enforcement officer will ever make such a demand.
     
  • Real law enforcement and real court officials will never demand that you pay fines by phone.
     
  • Real law enforcement and real court officials will never call to say you’re going to be arrested (or threaten to arrest you if you hang up).
     
  • Do not divulge personal information or financial information to unknown callers, including those who claim to work for the government.
     
  • A fine will never be imposed until after an individual has appeared in court and been given the opportunity to explain a failure to appear. 
     

Report scams to the Internet Crime Complaint Center and the Federal Trade Commission.
 

Wed, 2025-01-22
Court Warns of Scam Phone Calls

Indianapolis, Indiana – January 22, 2025:  The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana continues to receive reports of scammers posing as local law enforcement officials and calling individuals – often professionals such as attorneys and health care providers – to accuse them of allegedly failing to appear as an expert witness at a court hearing or trial.

Recipients of such calls are told they have been found in contempt of court and, if they fail to pay a fine, will be arrested. Using threats and scare tactics, the scammers then entice their victim to pay this "fine" with cash cards or other electronic payment. Making this scam even more nefarious, the scammers spoof government phone numbers and provide their victim with the names of real law enforcement officers, real court officials, and real judges. Even if the names are real, the "fine" is fake.

This is a scam. Real courts and real law enforcement officers will never call someone and demand a payment for any reason. If you receive such a call, hang up immediately.

Residents of the Southern District of Indiana who believe they have been the victim of such a scam are encouraged to report the incident to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Internet Crime Complaint Center ("IC3") at https://www.ic3.gov, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/. Additional information about this scam is available on the FTC's website.  

Here are some tips on things to remember and what to do if you are contacted by anyone claiming to be a law enforcement officer or court official:

  • Only scammers will call, text, or email demanding that you pay by cash, gift card, cryptocurrency, payment app, or a wire transfer service. No court official or law enforcement officer will ever make such a demand.
     
  • Real law enforcement and real court officials will never demand that you pay fines by phone.
     
  • Real law enforcement and real court officials will never call to say you’re going to be arrested (or threaten to arrest you if you hang up).
     
  • Do not divulge personal information or financial information to unknown callers, including those who claim to work for the government.
     
  • A fine will never be imposed until after an individual has appeared in court and been given the opportunity to explain a failure to appear. 
     
  • Report scams to the Internet Crime Complaint Center and the Federal Trade Commission.
Mon, 2024-11-18
Southern District of Indiana Joins Push for Additional Judgeships

Federal courts across the nation face a worsening shortage of Article III judges, resulting in countless Americans suffering delays in the resolution of their legal matters. The Southern District of Indiana is joining the push for Congress to pass the JUDGES Act, a bill that would add 66 district judgeships, two new circuit judgeships, and convert or extend certain existing temporary judgeships to improve access to justice and to meet increasing case filings in the federal courts. One of those additional district judgeships would be in the Southern District of Indiana, where the weighted caseload in the year ending June 30, 2024, ranked nineteenth in the United States and third in the Seventh Circuit. See the Press Release for full details. 

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