DUI DWI OWI cases in St. Joseph County are filed in Superior Court
in South Bend, which has jurisdiction over both misdemeanor and felony charges. Misdemeanor charges are handled by the Traffic
and Misdemeanor magistrates in the 1855 Courthouse on Lafayette Boulevard, while felonies are handled by the Superior Court
judges in the St. Joseph County Courthouse on Main Street.II. Court-specific information
For your convenience, contact
information concerning St. Joseph County's DUI courts is presented below:
SUPERIOR COURTS:
Mailing Address:
Superior
Court
County Courthouse
101 S. Main St.
South Bend, IN 46601
Court Administrator:
Patricia Y.
Evans
Phone: (574) 235-9893
Fax: (574) 245-6601
Judges (Criminal):
Chief Judge John M. Marnocha
Phone:
(574) 235-9769
Fax: (574) 235-5097
Roland W. Chamblee, Jr.
Phone: (574) 235-9051
Fax: (574) 245-6689
Jerome
Frese
Phone: (574) 235-9563
Fax: (574) 245-6690
Jane Woodward Miller
Phone: (574) 235-9542
Fax:
(574) 245-6688
Magistrates:
Mailing Address:
1855 Courthouse
112 S. Lafayette
South Bend, IN
46601
Richard L. McCormick
Phone: (574) 245-6794
Fax: (574) 245-6728
Brian W. Steinke
Phone:
(574) 245-6796
Fax: (574) 245-6728
II. Case Management, Procedures and Scheduling
A. Initial Hearing. At
your initial hearing, the Judge or Magistrate officially informs you of your constitutional rights and the charges against
you, enters your not guilty plea, orders discovery, and sets future court dates. You should never plead guilty at
your initial hearing unless you have an attorney with you and have negotiated an acceptable plea agreement.
You must
appear in court for your initial hearing whether you have an attorney or not.
Regardless whether your case is a misdemeanor
or felony, it is wise to obtain DUI counsel before the initial hearing date.B. Other Court Dates. If your case is not resolved
at the Initial Hearing, subsequent hearings such as record dates and pretrial conferences will be set before any trial date.
It is essential that you have counsel for any of these subsequent court dates.
(If you have been charged with a crime
in Indiana, you should consider your options carefully, consult with one or more top criminal defense lawyers, then choose
the best attorney for you and your situation. Your visit to this web site does not create an attorney-client relationship;
an attorney-client relationship is only created by an agreement between you and a specific attorney or law firm for representation
in your particular case. This web site does not provide legal advice.)
