Marion County plans to shut down traffic court

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Marion County is taking steps to shut down its traffic court, I-Team 8 has learned.

Documents signed by Judge Charnette Garner, presiding judge for Marion Superior Court, call for eliminating the traffic court, also known as Court 22, as soon as March 30.

The proposed rule changes were dated Feb. 17 and eliminate wording that identifies Court 22 as the one that “will receive filings for all Traffic-related misdemeanor, infractions, and ordinance violations not to include offenses of Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated.”

The proposed rule changes would mean traffic infractions and ordinance violations would instead be randomly assigned to one of 10 courts.

Public statistics from the state court system show more than 43,000 cases were filed in Marion County traffic court in 2021, the most recent numbers available.

I-Team 8 reached out Monday to the Superior Court Executive Committee but did not receive a response.

An I-Team 8 source said that at least some of the current traffic court employees will be offered jobs in other courts.