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
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.
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.
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana has been informed that scammers are calling individuals with cases pending before the court, posing as court staff, and requesting that the victim provide his or her Social Security number. A court official or other government employee will never contact someone and demand personal information or payment by phone or email.
Residents of the Southern District of Indiana who believe they have been the victim of this scam are encouraged to report the incident to the District Court Clerk’s Office at 317-229-3700 and the Federal Trade Commission at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov. For additional information things to remember, who to call, and what to do if you are contacted by a scammer, view the Press Release.
On November 28, 2017, Chief U.S. District Judge Jane E. Magnus-Stinson and U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler warned the public of a nationwide scam in which individuals pose as government officials and claim the victim is about to be arrested for failing to appear for jury duty, failing to pay an IRS penalty, or defaulting on a legal or contractual obligation. Individuals are told that they can avoid arrest by paying a fine. The contact may be via telephone, email, or written correspondence. The Southern District of Indiana has become aware that in an attempt to make the scam more convincing, perpetrators are using the names of real government officials, including the name of Clerk Laura Briggs. Also, in some cases, the scammers are “spoofing” real courthouse phone numbers, making it appear as though the call is coming from the courthouse. Please be advised that the U.S. Courts do not operate in this way. Federal Court officials will never call or e-mail a member of the public to demand payment. Anyone receiving such a phone call or e-mail is welcome to call the District Court Clerk’s Office at 317-229-3700 to verify that the attempt to collect payment is a scam. The full press release is linked below.
INDIANAPOLIS (May 19, 2025) – The United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana will team up with district courts across the country to co-host a virtual training session for attorneys to promote pro bono services to empower survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The program will take place on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at 1:00pm EST. The virtual program is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Full program details and registration information can be found on the PDF Flyer.
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 June 10, 2025, the revision of certain Local Rules of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. The proposed revisions are linked below.
The Federal Court and the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Indiana Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with
The Changing Face of America: The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana and the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Indiana are proud to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with a special event on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at 2:00 pm. The hour-long program will be held in Courtroom 216 at the Birch Bayh Federal Building and United States Courthouse, 46 East Ohio Street, Indianapolis, Indiana.
2025 marks the 60th anniversary of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which heralded major changes in American immigration policy. Through a combination of presentation and panel conversation, three outstanding speakers will discuss the effects of the INA from historical, legal, and personal perspectives.
Dr. Melissa Borja is a core faculty member in the University of Michigan's Asian/Pacific Islander American Studies Program. She researches and teaches about religion, migration, race, ethnicity, and politics in the United States and the Pacific World, with special attention to how Asian American religious beliefs and practices have developed in the context of pluralism and the modern American state. Dr. Borja's book, Follow the New Way: American Refugee Resettlement Policy and Hmong Religious Change (Harvard University Press), draws on oral history and archival research to investigate the religious dimensions of American refugee policy. She earned a Ph.D. and M.Phil. in history from Columbia University, in addition to an M.A. in history from the University of Chicago and an AB in history from Harvard University.
Dr. Ellen Wu is an associate professor of history at Indiana University – Bloomington. Dr. Wu researches, teaches, and writes about race, migration, and belonging in United States history. Her first book, The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority (Princeton, 2014), tells of the astonishing makeover of Asians in the United States from the “yellow peril” to “model minorities” in the middle decades of the twentieth century. Dr. Wu is currently writing Overrepresented, forthcoming from Princeton University Press. This book places Asian Americans at the center of the history of racial justice to tell a new story about diversity, data, and democracy in the United States. She earned B.A. and B.S. degrees from Indiana University – Bloomington, an M.A. degree from University of California – Los Angeles, and a Ph.D. from University of Chicago.
Judge Lakshmi Reddy was elected to the Vigo Superior Court in 2014 and was reelected to the bench in 2020. A beneficiary of the INA of 1965, she was born in India and came to the United States with her parents when she was two years old. She graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in biology, and in 1997, she earned her J.D. from the Indiana University McKinney School of Law. After serving as an associate at law firms in Indianapolis and Terre Haute, she founded Reddy Law Firm in 2009, practicing civil, commercial, family, and probate law until her appointment to the bench. She also served as a law clerk to Indiana Supreme Court Justice Frank Sullivan Jr.
Attendees are invited to enjoy light refreshments following the event. A virtual option is available for those who cannot attend in person. One hour of Continuing Legal Education credit is pending.
The event is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. Please register at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/INA60th#/ to reserve a space and indicate whether you will attend in person or virtually. Those attending virtually will receive the link upon registration, and again the day before the program with instructions on how to connect via Zoom.
The current term of office of United States Magistrate Judge Tim A. Baker, at Indianapolis, Indiana, is due to expire on September 30, 2025. The United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana is required by law to establish a panel of citizens to consider the reappointment of the magistrate judge to a new eight-year term. Comments from members of the bar and the public are invited as to whether the incumbent magistrate judge should be recommended by the panel for reappointment by the court, and must be received by Friday, April 4, 2025. Please see Public Notice linked below for more details.
Public Notice for Reappointment of an Incumbent Magistrate Judge