Branches of the Government: Judicial

Indiana's judicial branch is comprised of the courts. The Supreme Courts of Indiana are the highest courts in the state. The judicial branch also consists of the Court of Appeals, Trial Courts and the Tax Court.

The Supreme Court presides over cases that have a major impact over the entire state, such as Polly v. Lasselle, which resulted in all the slaves of Indiana being freed. There are five court justices, the Chief Justice Randall Shephard being the current chief justice.

The Indiana Court of Appeals is the second highest courts, overseeing appeals from the trial courts. There are 15 judges on the Indiana Court of Appeals. Approximately 2,5oo appeals are heard by the court a year.

Any of the courts can be contacted for further information.