Indiana Legal Overview: Lafayette-Frankfort The Lafayette-Frankfort metropolitan area in Indiana is defined by the Census Bureau as covering Benton, Clinton, Carroll and Tippecanoe counties. Another way to look at it would be as a CSA or combined statistical area comprised of the Frankfort micropolitan area covering Clinton County and the Lafayette metro area which covers Benton, Carroll and Tippecanoe counties. Each county is served by superior and circuit courts that have original jurisdiction over all cases in that county. Listed below are the major cities in the Lafayette-Frankfort metro area.
Top Indiana cities for Legal Issues: Lafayette
1. Tippecanoe County has seven courts, all located in the courthouse in Lafayette. The trial court with general jurisdiction over all criminal and civil cases is Division 1 of the Tippecanoe County Superior Court. The circuit court and the superior court’s Division 2 share general jurisdiction with Division I over criminal and civil cases. The superior court has five other divisions to handle everything from misdemeanors and traffic violations to arraignments, juvenile cases and emergency hearings. The other three counties similarly have superior and circuit courts located in their county seats.
Trending Legal Topics: Appeals against circuit and superior court decisions in any of these four counties may be filed with the Indiana Court of Appeals based in Indianapolis. The court of last resort in the state judiciary system is the Indiana Supreme Court, which may agree to take on an appellate court decision for further review. A federal case in the Lafayette-Frankfort metro area must be filed with the Lafayette Division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana. Federal appeals are filed with the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. |