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.
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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.
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
The United States District Court, Bankruptcy Court, and Probation Office for the Southern District of Indiana and the Indianapolis Bar Association's Women & the Law Division are proud to celebrate Women's History Month with a special event on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 3:00 pm. The hour-long program will be held in Courtroom 202 at the Birch Bayh Federal Building and United States Courthouse, 46 East Ohio Street, Indianapolis, Indiana. A Zoom link will also be available for those unable to attend in person. Registration is required for both in-person and virtual attendance.
In a question-and-answer format, District Judge Jane E. Magnus-Stinson will interview Chief Justice (retired) Maureen O'Connor from the State of Ohio. Chief Justice O'Connor will share her insights on the consequences of partisan elections for state Supreme Court Justices, as well as the role of the judicial branch in combatting the opioid epidemic, substance abuse, and mental health disorders, and in addressing bail reform. Chief Justice O'Connor's post-retirement activities involving redistricting and Ohio's ballot initiative provisions will also be discussed.
Full details are available in the Press Release.
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana is pleased to announce its 26th annual Black History Month event. This year's hour-long program, Living History: The Black Women Judges of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, will be held in courtroom 202 at the Birch Bayh Federal Building and United States Courthouse on Friday, February 21, 2025, at 2:00 PM. A virtual option is available for those who cannot attend in person. One hour of Continuing Legal Education credit has been approved. The program will feature a candid conversation with the Honorable Ann Claire Williams (Retired), the Honorable Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, and the Honorable Doris L. Pryor. Please view the Press Release for full details and registration information.
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (October 1, 2024): During the month of October, the United States Courts throughout the Seventh and Eighth Circuits are hosting the Fifth Annual Bill of Rights Day Contest and want YOU to be a part of it!
School age children in grades 5-12 in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin are invited to submit an essay, poem, video, photography, song, or piece of art in celebration of Bill of Rights Day. Full contest details, prompts, and rules can be found at https://judiciallearningcenter.org/bill-of-rights-day/.
For further information, please refer to the Press Release.
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 18, 2024, the revision of certain Local Rules of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. Please see Public Notice linked below for details.
INDIANAPOLIS (September 16, 2024) – On Friday, November 22, 2024, at the Historical Society of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana's 17th Annual Court History & Continuing Legal Education Symposium, an esteemed panel will discuss Senator Lugar's decades of leadership and public service, his civic impact, and the legacy and example he leaves for future generations of Hoosiers. The program, which takes place at the Birch Bayh Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse, will also feature a panel discussion on mental health for judges and lawyers. Complete details and registration information can be found in the Press Release.
On Thursday, October 10, 2024, at 2:00 pm EDT, Andres Chavez, Cesar's grandson, will speak about his grandfather's life, work, and legacy in a moderated conversation with Magistrate Judge Mario Garcia. This discussion will be the keynote address at the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana and the Indiana State Bar Association Latino Affairs Committee's eighth annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration. Please see the Press Release for details and registration information.