Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
INDIANAPOLIS — Chief Justice Loretta Rush of the Indiana Supreme Court has appointed Kosciusko County Superior Court I Judge Karin McGrath to serve on the Indiana Commission on Court Appointed Attorneys.
The commission consists of 11 members: three are appointed by the chief justice; three are appointed by the governor; two are members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House; and two are members of the Senate appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, according to a provided news release.
The commission is an independent judicial branch agency of the State of Indiana that has worked since 1989 to establish standards for public defense services and to facilitate partial reimbursement for counties that meet those standards. The commission supports and encourages counties to provide effective, legally sound public defense by tying state funding to adherence to quality standards.
The commission is currently mandated to:
• Make recommendations to the Indiana Supreme Court regarding standards for indigent defense services for defendants facing the death penalty.
• Adopt guidelines and standards for indigent defense services under which counties are eligible for reimbursement including.
• Make recommendations concerning the delivery of indigent defense services in Indiana.
• Make an annual report to the governor, the General Assembly and the Supreme Court on the operation of the public defense fund.
McGrath has presided over the Kosciusko Superior Court I since her appointment by Gov. Eric Holcomb in 2021. She was instrumental in establishing the Kosciusko County Public Defender’s Office and has established the Kosciusko County Reentry Court, stated the release.
“I am honored by this appointment, and I look forward to working with the other members of the Commission and having the opportunity to provide input as a trial court judge working with public defenders on a daily basis,” McGrath said.
