Indiana Code 5-8-1-35. Verification of accusation; citing party; hearing; judgment
(1) charging and collecting illegal fees for services rendered or to be rendered in the officer’s office;
Terms Used In Indiana Code 5-8-1-35
- Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
- Attorney: includes a counselor or other person authorized to appear and represent a party in an action or special proceeding. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- in writing: include printing, lithographing, or other mode of representing words and letters. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
- Judgment: means all final orders, decrees, and determinations in an action and all orders upon which executions may issue. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
- Probate: Proving a will
- Verified: when applied to pleadings, means supported by oath or affirmation in writing. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
(3) in the case of a county officer (as defined in IC 36-2-8.7-1), failing to be physically present in the county officer’s office in violation of IC 36-2-8.7-7; or
(4) violating IC 36-6-4-17(b) if the officer is the executive of a township;
the court must cite the party charged to appear before the court at any time not more than ten (10) nor less than five (5) days from the time the accusation was presented, and on that day or some other subsequent day not more than twenty (20) days from the time the accusation was presented must proceed to hear, in a summary manner, the accusation and evidence offered in support of the same, and the answer and evidence offered by the party accused.
(b) If after the hearing under subsection (a) it appears that the charge is sustained, the court must do the following:
(1) Enter a decree that the party accused be deprived of the party’s office.
(2) Enter a judgment as follows:
(A) For five hundred dollars ($500) in favor of the prosecuting officer.
(B) For costs as are allowed in civil cases.
(C) For the amount of money that was paid to the officer in compensation from the day when the accusation was filed under this section to the day when judgment is entered in favor of the public entity paying the compensation to the officer.
(c) In an action under this section, a court may award reasonable attorney‘s fees, court costs, and other reasonable expenses of litigation to the accused officer if:
(1) the officer prevails; and
(2) the court finds that the accusation is frivolous or vexatious.
Formerly: Acts 1897, c.182, s.35. As amended by P.L.34-1992, SEC.1; P.L.84-2016, SEC.25; P.L.169-2021, SEC.1; P.L.9-2022, SEC.5; P.L.24-2022, SEC.1.