© 2010 Paul Stanko. All rights reserved

I. Overview

St. Joseph County-1855 Courthouse - South Bend

St. Joseph County Main Courthouse - South Bend

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:

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

David C. Chapleau

Phone: (574) 235-9550

Fax: (574) 245-6691

Jerome Frese

Phone: (574) 235-9563

Fax: (574) 245-6690

William T. Means

Phone: (574) 235-9727

Fax: (574) 245-6692

Jane Woodward Miller

Phone: (574) 235-9542

Fax: (574) 245-6688

Michael P. Scopelitis

Phone: (574) 235-9591

Fax: (574) 245-6693

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

III. 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. Your constitutional rights. These are your constitutional rights, as provided by Indiana law (verbatim excerpt from Indiana Code):

IC 35-33-7-5 Informing of accused

At the initial hearing of a person, the judicial officer shall inform him orally or in writing:

(1) that he has a right to retain counsel and if he intends to retain counsel he must do so within:

(A) twenty (20) days if the person is charged with a felony; or

(B) ten (10) days if the person is charged only with one (1) or more misdemeanors;

after this initial hearing because there are deadlines for filing motions and raising defenses, and if those deadlines are missed, the legal issues and defenses that could have been raised will be waived;

(2) that he has a right to assigned counsel at no expense to him if he is indigent;

(3) that he has a right to a speedy trial;

(4) of the amount and conditions of bail;

(5) of his privilege against self-incrimination;

(6) of the nature of the charge against him; and

(7) that a preliminary plea of not guilty is being entered for him and the preliminary plea of not guilty will become a formal plea of not guilty:

(A) twenty (20) days after the completion of the initial hearing; or

(B) ten (10) days after the completion of the initial hearing if the person is charged only with one (1) or more misdemeanors;

unless the defendant enters a different plea.

In addition, the judge shall direct the prosecuting attorney to give the defendant or his attorney a copy of any formal felony charges filed or ready to be filed. The judge shall, upon request of the defendant, direct the prosecuting attorney to give the defendant or his attorney a copy of any formal misdemeanor charges filed or ready to be filed.

C. 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.