The Court of Appeals in Indiana

As the second-highest court in Indiana, the Court of Appeals hears appeals from the state’s trial courts and some state agencies. While the Supreme Court of Indiana dates from the state’s first constitution adopted in 1816, the concept of a second appellate-level court to serve the entire state originated with an enactment of the Indiana General Assembly in 1891. The Appellate Court of Indiana came about to relieve the growing caseload of the Supreme Court.

 Seventy-nine years later, in 1970, the Appellate Court finally gained the status of a constitutional court. In 1971 the official title Court of Appeals of Indiana was adopted. Since 1991 the Court has been comprised of five districts, each with three judges. A chief judge presides over the entire court, while each district has a presiding judge.

 The Court of Appeals of Indiana includes a timeline of the court’s history from 1860 to 2019, as well as essays from scholars and judicial experts on the more than one hundred individuals who have served on the court, as well as photographs of each.

Hardcover. 516 pages. 2022, Indiana Historical Society Press.  By Linda C. Gugin and James E. St. Clair.