Voters in each of the nine Marion County townships will elect a judge for the small claims court this November. All township judges are on the ballot, but only Perry Township voters will select from multiple candidates. The other townships have only one candidate.
Click here to find out which township you live in.
The county's small claims courts oversee civil claims in amounts of up to $10,000, including landlord-tenant eviction proceedings, and are generally less formal than circuit and superior courts.
Marion County small claims courts were established by the Indiana General Assembly in 1976.
"I believe the idea originally in developing small claims courts was that it's a way to keep a court closer to the citizens, closer to the people, less cumbersome as far as procedures are concerned, less expensive to do," said Mark A. Jones, a former judge with the Marion Superior Court, which is not a small claims court.
These courts don't oversee criminal, divorce, child custody or child in need of services cases. Small claims can involve things like a neighbor suing a neighbor, someone getting into a car accident and wanting the other party to fix the car, Jones said. But evictions are the majority of cases in small claims courts.
Landlords filed 24,514 eviction claims in 2024 in all Marion County courts, according to state court data, representing 26.4% of new civil cases filed. Of those, 22,310 were filed in small claims courts, or 73% of all civil cases filed in Marion County small claims courts in 2024.
The township constable delivers eviction notices and other orders from the court. Township constables are also up for election in November.
Marion County small claims judges are elected to four-year terms and begin their term on Jan. 1 after an election. That's different from superior court judges, who are appointed and later retained by voters in elections.
To qualify for the role, candidates must be a U.S. citizen, reside in the township for at least one year before taking office or have been elected as that township's judge before 1999. Candidates must also have "high moral character and reputation," and be admitted to practice law in Indiana upon filing for candidacy or being nominated.
The Greater Indianapolis Multifaith Alliance will host a forum with township judge candidates from 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 28 at Castleton United Methodist Church, 7101 Shadeland Avenue. Jones will moderate.
Center Township
Brenda Annette Roper (D) — incumbent (elected 2014)
Decatur Township
Jonathan P. Sturgill (R) — incumbent (elected 2023)
Franklin Township
John A. Kitley, Jr. (R) — incumbent (elected 1994)
Lawrence Township
Kimberly J. Bacon (D) — incumbent
Perry Township
Jami R. Sayeed (D)
Cheryl Rivera (R) — incumbent
Pike Township
Doug Stephens (D) — incumbent (elected 2002)
Warren Township
Garland E. Graves (D) — incumbent
Washington Township
Steven G Poore (D) — incumbent
Wayne Township
Gerald B. Coleman (D) — incumbent
