12161996 - News Article - Region needs to blaze trail - The issue: Establishing a unified family court system

Region needs to blaze trail
The issue: Establishing a unified family court system
NWI Times
Dec 16, 1996
http://www.nwitimes.com/uncategorized/region-needs-to-blaze-trail/article_7c4662c3-0a57-5f5f-b912-3e80b6fe4a6c.html
The issue: Establishing a unified family court system

Our opinion: Indiana should take a major step forward by changing how courts deal with family problems.

A structured unified family court system in Indiana is long overdue.

There is no question societal problems in large part have been caused by the continuing disintegration of families.

Unfortunately, the court system is often called upon to clean up the mess.

And just as often various family members find themselves spread throughout the court system in front of several different judges.

How is a judge in one court expected to know how another is dealing with a single family's troubles?

It makes more sense to have a family court where one judge handles all the cases involved with a family, including divorce, juvenile and criminal matters.

The concept of family court is not new. Eight states and the District of Columbia have unified family courts. Another four states have begun pilot programs. U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno is a proponent of family court.

State Sen. William Alexa, D-Valparaiso, will soon introduce legislation to establish a family court system in Indiana. He has the backing of Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall Shepard.

The proposed legislation calls for $300,000 to fund the family court system in three counties willing to participate in a pilot program for two years beginning Jan. 1, 1998. Porter County is a prime candidate for this test to prove the progressive program works.

Opponents of the concept maintain it may be difficult for one judge to remain objective when he or she knows so much about a family. We disagree. In fact, just the opposite may be true.

It's impossible to ask judges to be objective and make solid decisions when they do not have all the facts and evidence.

Resisting this change would no doubt perpetuate an already untenable breakdown in our judicial system as demonstrated in more than one Porter County case where children were removed from their home by police officers without a court hearing, and certainly there are other cases around the state.

Families in crisis deserve a review by an impartial judge who knows all the circumstances.

Once the bill is introduced, we hope the General Assembly quickly approves the funding appropriations necessary to get the ball rolling.