Circuit Court

The Circuit Court Judge is elected to a six-year term. There is no limit to the number of six year terms in which a Judge may serve.

Circuit courts are the only trial courts mentioned in the Indiana Constitution, but the Constitution did not create circuit courts. The 1851 Constitution granted the General Assembly the power to create circuit courts. The General Assembly divided Indiana into circuits, based on county lines. Each county in Indiana has at least one circuit court. Indiana has 92 counties, and 88 of these counties comprise their own circuit, with their own circuit court. The remaining four small counties (Ohio, Dearborn, Jefferson, and Switzerland Counties) have been combined to form two circuits with two counties in each circuit.

When Indiana first became a state, circuit courts were the only courts in each county. Therefore, circuit courts traditionally heard ALL civil and criminal cases. Today, circuit courts continue to have unlimited trial jurisdiction, EXCEPT when exclusive or concurrent (shared) jurisdiction is conferred upon other courts.

Information taken from the State of Indiana’s Publication, “Know Your Indiana Courts”.