Indiana
Indiana’s highest court is the Indiana Supreme Court. The court has four associate justices and one chief justice, who is selected by a judicial nominating commission. (Source: Indiana Constitution)
Judicial Selection
The governor appoints a candidate to the Indiana Supreme Court from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. After at least two years on the court, a justice may stand in an unopposed yes/no retention vote at the time of Indiana’s next general election. Justices serve 10-year terms, and they may seek additional terms in the same retention process. The governor fills an interim vacancy by appointing a candidate chosen from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. There are no term limits. The mandatory retirement age is 75.
State Constitution
Indiana has had two constitutions adopted in 1816 and 1851. As of January 1, 2024, it had 49 amendments. (Source: John Dinan, 2024)
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Interpretive Methods in State Constitutional Law
Transcript of panel from Symposium: The Promise and Limits of State Constitutions
Mapping State Supreme Court Abortion Rights Decisions
A Conversation About Abortion Rights and the Future of State Constitutions
A retired state supreme court justice, a reproductive rights scholar, and the director of the Brennan Center’s Judiciary Program discuss the role of state courts after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that there is no federal constitutional right to abortion.
Knife Laws on the Chopping Block
Texas and the Next Generation of Abortion Fights
Kate Cox sought an emergency abortion after learning her fetus has a fatal genetic condition. Her case illustrates an emerging set of battles to define the scope of legal exceptions to strict state abortion bans.
Texas Supreme Court to Determine Scope of ‘Medical Emergency’ Exceptions to Abortion Bans
The plaintiffs include 20 women who were denied abortion care and two doctors who say Texas’s abortion bans prevent them from meeting their ethical obligations.
Trends to Watch in State Abortion Litigation
Indiana Supreme Court Gives Natural Rights a Boost