Indiana Court Case Lookup

A court case is a legal proceeding between opposing parties resolved in any Indiana Court. A court case can also involve parties not in opposition but require a legal ruling from the court, like in a divorce case. There are two levels of courts in Indiana:

Appellate Courts: These courts include the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, and the Tax Court
Trial Courts: These courts include circuit courts, superior courts, and local city or town courts.

Typically, trial courts handle all types of cases, including criminal cases (misdemeanors, felonies, and infractions) and civil cases (probate, family, and juvenile). Appellate courts handle only cases that have been decided in trial courts. A person who loses a case at a Trial Court can take it to an Appellate Court for reconsideration because they want to challenge the outcome.

Are Court Cases Public Record in Indiana?

Per the Access to Public Records Act (APRA), Indiana's court cases are public records. As such, anyone can inspect and retrieve copies of court cases of any public agency in Indiana. However, certain court cases are exempted from public disclosure. For instance, records containing criminal intelligence or personal information of a judge, a victim of a crime, or a law enforcement officer.

How to Conduct an Indiana Court Case Lookup

The Indiana Judicial Branch and County Clerk’s offices are the custodians of court case information in the state. As such, individuals may be able to conduct court case lookups online, by mail, or in person at these offices. For instance, the Indiana Judicial Branch has a Case Search tool where requesters can find non-confidential court cases. A search can be conducted by name, case, or attorney. Alternatively, requesters can visit the local courts during business hours to request court cases. Certified copies of court case records are available at County Clerk’s offices.

Can I Get Indiana Court Case Documents Online?

Yes, Indiana court case information can be assessed online. The Indiana Judicial Branch has a central digital repository where cases from different courts in the state are available for public perusal. This Case Search tool allows requesters to search court cases by:

Case: A search can be done by providing a case number, citation number, or cross-reference number.
Party: A search can be done by providing a business name or last name and at least first name, middle name, or date of birth.
Attorney: A search can be done by providing an attorney number or last name and at least first or middle name.

An individual conducting a search by party or attorney can use the sounds-like search if they are unsure how the record holder or attorney's name is spelled. There is also an option of limiting one's search by case type, court, or doing an advanced search.

Note that a court case search via this online tool typically provides information like a case number, court, case types, filling date, status, case parties names, financial information, charge summary, transaction summary, and a chronological case summary.

How to Conduct an Indiana Court Search by Name

Generally, an Indiana Court search by name can be done online or in person at the court where the case was filed. MyCase is an online publicly available records database within the Indiana court system where requesters can find information on civil and criminal cases by conducting a search by a case party or attorney name. Alternatively, requesters can look up court case information by visiting the respective courthouse during business hours.

What is a Court Case Number?

A court case number is the identification number a clerk of court assigns to a criminal or civil case. The number is usually on every original and copy of documents filed during a case process. a case number in Indiana typically reflects the county, court type, court number, year and month of filing, case type, and filing sequence. Note that there are instances where the number assigned to a case can change, especially if the case is moved to a different court.

How to Conduct a Case Number Search in Indiana

A case number search in Indiana can be done online or in person at any Indiana Court. Most Indiana courts that use the Odyssey case management system allow the public to access court case information via the State Case Search tool. The tool allows requesters to search for a case by providing the case number of the document they seek to find.

When entering a case number on the Case Search tool, a requester does not need to include the hyphens between sections or the zero(s) at the beginning of the sequence number. For instance, a case number can be typed in any of the following variations:

57C038805DR6314
57C038805DR06314
57C03-8805-DR-06314
57C03-8805-DR-6314

An individual conducting a case number search via the online tool should expect to retrieve information like a case number, court, case types, filling date, case status, names and addresses of case parties, financial information, and a chronological case summary.

How to Remove Court Cases From Public Record in Indiana

Specifically, Indiana law provides several statutory procedures that enable certain people in specific situations to petition a court to remove a court case from public access. For instance:

Expungement of juvenile records: Per Indiana Code 31-39-8-1, a person can have their juvenile records removed from public records by sending petitions to the court with jurisdiction over the case. The court will consider the child’s best interest, case deposition, nature of the allegation, and the person's age when the offense was committed before granting the petition. The court can expunge the records by destroying them or giving them to the record holder.
Non-disclosure of infraction records: Per Indiana Code 34-28-5-15, individuals can petition the court to have their infraction records restricted if they were not prosecuted or the case was dismissed, they were not found guilty, or were found guilty, but the adjudication was vacated. A person can petition the court to restrict infraction records if it has been over 5 years since the case was deferred, judgment has been satisfied, or conditions of the deferral program have been met. Eligible individuals can file a petition to restrict infraction records with their local court of jurisdiction.
Sealing and expunging conviction records: A criminal history record can be sealed or expunged per Indiana Code 35-38-9. An eligible individual or their attorney may file a petition for expungement or sealing with a local court of jurisdiction in Indiana. If the judge grants the expungement or sealing is granted, the local court will send the necessary paperwork (verified petition and order granting the petition) to the Indiana State Police Expungement Section for processing. The Expungement Section will process, review, and comply with the order when they receive the paperwork. For more information, email the ISP Expungement Section at Expungement@isp.IN.gov or call (317) 234-4427.
Sealing judicial records: Per Indiana Code 5-14-3-5.5, a hearing must be held for public judicial records to be sealed. Record parties are allowed to testify and submit written briefs at the hearing. The court will seal all or parts of judicial records if it is determined that the public's interest will be secured and it is necessary for the record to be sealed.

It is recommendable for individuals who want to remove court cases from public records in Indiana to review the procedure for removing court records stated in the Access to Court Records Rules 6 and 7.

How to Check a Court Case Status in Indiana

The easiest way to check a court case status in Indiana is to use the State Case Search tool. This tool is available on the presiding court website. Requesters can find out if a case is opened or closed by conducting a search by case, party, or attorney. The search result will reveal the status of the case alongside other vital information about the case.

How to Find Supreme Court Decisions in Indiana

Case parties and other interested persons can find unofficial Indiana Supreme Court decisions (or opinions) via the Indiana Appellate Decisions tool. Requesters can find Supreme Court decisions by conducting a search by case number or name, court, case category, authoring judge, decision date, and county. Official copies of opinions can be retrieved from the Clerks of the Supreme Court at:

Indiana Supreme Court
315 Indiana State House
200 W. Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: (317) 232-2540
Fax: (317) 232-8372

What Percentage of Court Cases Go to Trial in Indiana?

Independent reporters record that less than 5% of criminal cases in Indiana go to trial. The 2021 Indiana trial court statistics show that over 106,000 criminal cases were resolved through guilty pleas and admissions. By comparison, about 719 were disposed of by a jury trial and 3,078 via bench trial.

How Long Does a Court Case Last in Indiana?

The timeframe of court cases in Indiana varies by case type. An individual can contact the clerk of courts handling a case to get information on how long a court case will last. Generally, Indiana divorce cases take at least 60 days from the date of filing to be finalized (Ind. Code §31-15-2-10 (2021)). Per Indiana Rules of Criminal Procedure, all criminal cases are required to last for just one year after the filing date. However, there are times when criminal cases are completed before or beyond the one-year time limit for legitimate court–approved reasons. Typically, minor cases like Class D felonies or misdemeanors can last for about six to nine months. While more serious charges may last for two years or more, depending on the case's complexity.

How to File a Case in Court in Indiana

Filers can file cases in court electronically or in person. Indiana has a statewide e-filing system that residents can use to file nearly all types of cases in the state’s Trial and Appellate Courts. Requesters must set up accounts and sign in with their usernames and passwords. Review the E-filing User Guide for more information on filing a case electronically in the Trial and Appellate Courts. Court documents can also be filed manually in Indiana. Interested persons or their attorneys can visit the respective Indiana courthouse during business hours to file cases.

What Does It Mean if a Court Case Was Resolved Before the Trial Date?

A court case resolved before the trial date means alternnative methods were used to settle the disputes. Major ways a case party can resolve a court case without trial is by plea bargain, mutual compromise, dismissal, and diversion program. For instance, a criminal court case can be resolved before trial when a defendant agrees to plead guilty to some or all of the charges filed against them rather than taking the case to trial. A civil court case party can be resolved before trial by entering into a mutual agreement on the issue, or there was a judicial order regarding the matter. A judicial order is possible when a judge grants a dispositive motion filed by one of the case parties.