(With Reporting by the Associated Press)Indiana Chief Justice Randall Shepard says a good judicial system can help the economy. The retiring chief justice delivered his 25th and final State of the Judiciary speech to a joint session of the Indiana General Assembly today.Shepard says businesses shy away from some states because of the legal climate, but Indiana isn't one of them. He cites work done by judges and lawyers to simplify rules for juries and evidence.Shepard says state courts have also been providing direct economic help to people by revamping practices to make it easier for homeowners to avoid foreclosure."The news is that after a full year of experience with the practices that all three branches made happen, it’s now clear that these processes multiply the chance that a homeowner might achieve a successful workout six times over where we used to be," he said.Shepard also outlined improvements that courts have made in technology, such as a system that gives women's shelters direct access to the Protective Order Registry to better protect victims.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.
