Indiana Supreme Court

Indiana Supreme Court
Seal of the Supreme Court of Indiana
Established	1816
Country	Indiana United States
Location	Indiana Statehouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Coordinates	39°46′07.1″N 86°09′45.4″W / 39.768639°N 86.162611°W / 39.768639; -86.162611Coordinates: 39°46′07.1″N 86°09′45.4″W / 39.768639°N 86.162611°W / 39.768639; -86.162611
Motto	Latin: Supremum Jus Lege Suprema Justice exists where the law is supreme
Composition method	Retention election
Authorized by	Indiana Constitution
Decisions are appealed to	Supreme Court of the United States
Judge term length	10 years
No. of positions	5
Website	Official website
Chief Justice of Indiana
Currently	Loretta Rush
Since	August 18, 2014
Lead position ends	August 18, 2019
Jurist term ends	December 31, 2024

The Supreme Court of Indiana, established by Article 7 of the Indiana Constitution, is the highest judicial authority in the state of Indiana. Located in Indianapolis, the Court's chambers are in the north wing of the Indiana Statehouse.

In December 1816 the Supreme Court of Indiana succeeded the General Court of the Indiana Territory as the state's high court. During its long history the Court heard a number of high-profile cases, including Lasselle v. State (1820). Originally begun as a three-member judicial panel, the Court underwent major reforms in 1852 and 1971, as well as several other reorganizations. Court reforms led to a majority of Supreme Court cases being delegated to lower courts, an enlarged panel of justices, and employment of a large staff to assist as its caseload increases.

In 2008 the Court consisted of one chief justice and four associate justices, the constitutional minimum; however, the Indiana General Assembly may increase the number of associate justices to a maximum of eight for a total of nine court justices. A board of five commissioners assists the Court in its administrative duties. Commissioners are nominated by the Judicial Nominating Commission and appointed by the governor. The Court offices and chambers are located on the third floor in the north wing of the Indiana Statehouse. The Court maintains a large legal library on the third floor that is open to the public.

The Court has no original jurisdiction in most cases, meaning that it can only hear cases appealed to the Court after having been previously heard in lower courts. Most cases begin in local circuit courts, where the initial trial is held and a jury decides the outcome of the case. The circuit court decision can be appealed to the Indiana Court of Appeals or the Indiana Tax Court, who can hear the case or enforce the lower court's decision. If the parties still disagree with the outcome of the case, they can appeal the decision to the Indiana Supreme Court. The Court can choose to hear the case and possibly overturn the previous judgment, or it can decline to accept the case and uphold the decision of the lower courts.