Judge Kelly Benjamin
The Bartholomew County Council has granted an additional appropriation from the county’s general fund for additional expenses incurred from jury trials.
Court representative Tammy Johannesen said Circuit court needed $40,000 after expenses kept mounting up for transcripts required in appeals of jury verdicts and a judge’s sentence.
Additional funds were also needed to pay a public defender in a murder trial, she said. Indiana law requires special contracts for public defenders in murder cases who must spend large amounts of time preparing a defense.
These expenses are usually paid out of an “other services” line item, Johannesen said.
“Right now, we are running low in that account, and we are trying to take action before we zero it out,” she said. “I also have outstanding invoices and pending appeals.”
There was little opposition from the council, after the members heard Circuit Judge Kelly Benjamin discuss her court’s extremely full docket last week.
At that time, Benjamin explained her court handled more than 12 jury trials within a year. She also said those trials took up 38 work days.
“That’s the most I’ve ever heard of in this county – ever,” the judge told the council.
Most of the courts are still struggling to get caught up with their caseload after the COVID-19 pandemic delayed many court proceedings in 2000 and in early 2021, Benjamin told the council.
So far, $21,659 has been spent from the ‘other services’ account, Johannesen said. That’s in addition to $7,000 spent from Circuit Court’s supplemental public defender fund.
Essentially, the court needed about $29,000 to handle unpaid expenses, according to Johannesen’s presentation. However, the amount available to the court totals only $3,600, And that doesn’t include unforeseen expenses that will occur during the second half of the year.
“Are you sure that’s going to be enough?” council President Jorge Morales asked Johannesen.
“I sure hope so,” she replied.
