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A judge is updating the process for red flag petitions in Marion County after prosecutor Ryan Mears office was criticized for not submitting a red flag petition to the courts against the FedEx shooter following a police run-in in 2020.
Superior Court Judge Amy Jones, who oversees red flag cases in Marion County, initiated the changes this week but they are not yet confirmed, court administrator Emily VanOsdol and IMPD Lt. Shane Foley told IndyStar. The judge will request that law enforcement officers submit red flag cases directly to her courtroom instead of through the prosecutor s office.
After that, two judges will decide if there is enough probable cause that the person is dangerous to initiate a hearing over their gun rights. Foley said the new changes will make the red flag process more efficient.
The organization that has provided court-appointed advocates for children passing through the Marion County judicial system for nearly 40 years has pulled out of contract negotiations more than a week before the new contract takes effect May 1.
The move throws into uncertainty the county s ability to provide enough guardians ad litem or child advocates, known as GALs or CASAs, to children who find themselves navigating legal dilemmas in the judicial system, like divorces, child abuse or neglect cases.
Child Advocates had been the court s provider of court-appointed special advocate services since 1982, but an external audit completed in January raised flags about how the organization was spending city funds. The city s contract with Child Advocates that started January 2020 for $5.4 million had to be re-negotiated twice to be increased to $8.8 million, according to the Office of Public Health and Safety.
Court-appointed special advocates, called CASAs, are volunteers who help children impacted by the welfare or justice systems navigate the judicial process, serving as their adult eyes and ears and mentors who can help them access needed services. Since the 1980s, Child Advocates of Indianapolis has been the nonprofit providing this support to Marion County children.
Last week, the city’s Office of Public Health and Safety, which manages the contract with Child Advocates, announced it would partner with Kids’ Voice of Indiana beginning May 1. However, Kids’ Voice does not provide CASA services, so the city has already authorized them to bring in Child Advocates as a subcontractor.