Four judges and one attorney based in Northwest Indiana are among the eight individuals who applied to fill a judicial vacancy on the Indiana Court of Appeals.
Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr., and the 91 other sheriffs across Indiana, answer to no one when it comes to contracts relating to the county jail and its inmates.
A Democratic at-large East Chicago City Council candidate successfully challenged his removal from the primary ballot in Lake Superior Court late last month after facing allegations he voted as a Republican in the 2020 primary.
The appellate court said the Indiana Constitution and state law unquestionably establish a duty that the sheriff take care of the jail and its prisoners.
Commissioners Attorney Matt Fech recommended that the three-member county executive board take no action on the tentative contracts due to litigation pending at the Indiana Court of Appeals.