Kosciusko Leadership Academy met Jan. 19 in the old courtroom at the courthouse to learn about the judicial system in Kosciusko County.
Circuit Court Judge Rex Reed and Superior Court Judge Duane Huffer were the guest speakers.
Reed covered the history of Kosciusko's courthouses through the years, starting with the first one built across the street from the current Lake City Bank. It was a one-story log building built on donated land.The second courthouse was once again a log building but with two stories. This courthouse actually had a trap door to the basement, which served as the jail.
In 1845, a brick two-story courthouse was built at the present location. By the 1880s the population had grown to 27,000 in an era of granite courthouses. In 1882, the cornerstone for a granite courthouse was laid with a building dedication in 1884 with 20,000 people attending.
In 1980, a fire broke out in the courthouse with extensive smoke damage. Ceiling artwork was discovered in the courtroom during the cleaning process. Efforts were led to refinish it, leading to today's present look. Eventually, the courts were moved to the current Justice Building. The old courtroom is now used for the board of county commissioners and the county council meetings.
Reed shared that Kosciusko County originally had only one court, a circuit court, which was created by the state. However, in 1969, the state legislature created the Kosciusko Superior Court. In 1976, additional courts were added to replace the justice of the peace system and town courts. Eventually, the county court system became overburdened and was modified to become a superior court with broader powers and an additional superior court. Kosciusko now has one circuit court and three superior courts.
In response to a question, Reed said one of the biggest changes seen has been the increase of corruption, with drugs being the biggest issue. In 1980, the jail housed 85 people, it currently houses 235 people.
Huffer shared that as of 2008, there are four judges. He is both the juvenile court judge and superior court 1 judge. In addition, there are also superior court 2, 3 and 4 judges. He explained that every judge has the same jurisdiction, however, they have different areas to cover.
As a juvenile court judge, Huffer handles all matters relating to juveniles. This includes paternity cases, juvenile delinquencies, child custody disputes and child abuse incidents.
He stated that in 2009, there were 18,403 cases handled by the four courts. Huffer revealed that for every child there is a court appointed special advocate. CASAs are community volunteers that advocate for the best interests of the children. They are highly trained and he encouraged those attending to consider volunteering to be a CASA.
When asked how people can get more involved, Huffer suggested that KLA members talk to attorneys, get to know their judges and probation officers.
The session ended with a walk through the underground tunnel to the Justice Building and a short tour of the different court rooms located within.
The next KLA session is scheduled Feb. 2 at the Syracuse Community Center where class members will learn about the economics of Kosciusko County.
