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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, 2023-09-01

The Honorable Tanya Walton Pratt, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, is pleased to announce that Crystal S. Wildeman was sworn in as United States Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Indiana at a private ceremony this morning. Please see the Press Release for more information. 

Wed, 2023-06-14

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, 2023. Please click on the link below for details.

Public Notice Re: Amendments to Local Rules

Thu, 2023-05-11

The Honorable Tanya Walton Pratt, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, is pleased to announce the selection of Crystal S. Wildeman for the position of United States Magistrate Judge in the Evansville Division. Ms. Wildeman will fill the vacancy created by the recent elevation of the Honorable Matthew P. Brookman from Magistrate Judge to District Judge of the Southern District of Indiana.  Please see the Press Release linked below for more information.

Press Release:  Crystal S. Wildeman Selected as United States Magistrate Judge

Mon, 2023-04-03

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (April 3, 2023): The Honorable Tanya Walton Pratt, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, announced that Matthew P. Brookman was sworn in as a District Judge this morning. Senior District Judge Richard L. Young, whose seat Judge Brookman fills, administered the oath at the Winfield K. Denton Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Evansville, Indiana. Please see the Press Release for full details. 

Fri, 2023-01-06

The Honorable Tanya Walton Pratt, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, is pleased to announce that M. Kendra Klump was sworn in today as United States Magistrate Judge. Judge Klump fills the vacancy created by the recent elevation of the Honorable Doris L. Pryor from Magistrate Judge of the Southern District of Indiana to Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Please see the Press Release for full details. 

Tue, 2022-12-06

Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt, on behalf of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, is proud to congratulate Judge Doris L. Pryor on her elevation to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Judge Pryor was nominated by President Joseph Biden on May 25, 2022, and confirmed by the United States Senate on December 5, 2022.  Judge Pryor is the first Black jurist from the state of Indiana to serve on the Seventh Circuit. Full details can be found in the Press Release.

Fri, 2022-11-04

The Honorable Tanya Walton Pratt, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, is pleased to announce that Kellie M. Barr was sworn in on Monday, October 31, as United States Magistrate Judge. Judge Barr assumed her new duties on Tuesday, November 1. Please see the Press Release for full details. 

Wed, 2022-06-22

Indianapolis, Indiana – June 22, 2022:  The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana has received reports from victims who have been contacted by scammers claiming to be with the “sheriff's office,” requesting that the victims pay fines allegedly ordered by Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt for failure to appear for jury service.

This is a scam. A court will never call someone and demand a payment. If you receive such a call, hang up immediately. You can then call the court directly at 317-229-3700, and legitimate court staff will verify that the victim does not owe any money, has no outstanding warrants, and has not been summoned for jury duty.

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 Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/.

Here is additional information on things to remember, who to call, and what to do if you are contacted by a scammer:

  • Authenticate an email or call by contacting the Clerk’s Office of the U.S. District Court in Indianapolis at (317) 229-3700 to verify that the court is not requiring any action from you and that the scam call did not come from the court.
     
  • Do not divulge personal information or financial information to unknown callers, including those who claim to work for a government agency.
     
  • A court will never ask for a credit/debit card number, gift card number, wire transfers, or bank routing numbers over the phone or by email for any purpose.
     
  • 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 Federal Trade Commission.
     
  • You can remain anonymous when you report.
Tue, 2021-07-27

Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt announced that, with the approval of the judges and the Facility Security Committee of the Southern District of Indiana, effective August 2, 2021, all courthouses in the Southern District of Indiana will enact new restrictions on electronic devices. Specifically, people will be required to power off and secure electronic devices before entering the federal courthouses in Indianapolis, Evansville, New Albany, and Terre Haute. Full details of this policy may be found in General Order 2021-19. Members of the media who wish to obtain an exemption from the policy may do so using this form. A press release can be accessed here

Mon, 2021-04-12

Spoofers are using the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana’s phone number and other information to intimidate and scam people.

Today, the Clerk’s Office began receiving phone calls from individuals who had been contacted by people claiming to be with the “court,” and whose number on the recipient’s caller ID appeared as the court’s actual main phone number (317-229-3729). The scammers are also using Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt's name to scare people into paying money to the scammer.

A court will never call someone and demand a payment. If you receive such a call, hang up immediately. You can then call the court directly at 317-229-3700, and legitimate court staff will verify that the victim does not owe any money.

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 Trade Commission at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov..

Here is additional information on things to remember, who to call, and what to do if you are contacted by a scammer:

  • Authenticate an email or call by contacting the Clerk’s Office of the U.S. District Court in Indianapolis at (317) 229-3700 to verify that the court is not requiring any action from you and that the scam call did not come from the court.
  • Do not divulge personal information or financial information to unknown callers, including those who claim to work for a government agency.
  • A court will never ask for a credit/debit card number, gift card number, wire transfers, or bank routing numbers over the phone or by email for any purpose.
  • 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 Federal Trade Commission.
  • You can remain anonymous when you report.

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