Correct names of Indiana state courts don't include the word "county"

Names of Indiana’s state courts (e.g., Marion Circuit Court) don’t include the word county. Many lawyers, court staff members, and even judges and judicial candidates make this mistake. It’s the sort of thing I always correct but never mention. But it’s also something I learned to catch as a law clerk for the Indiana Supreme Court.

The two places to find the formal names of courts are their enacting and organizing statutes, which are generally found in Ind. Code §§ 33‑33‑1‑1 to ‑92‑4 and the Indiana Administrative Rules. Courts’ names are listed in the rule on uniform case numbering, which is Admin. Rule 8(B)(1). In that rule, you can actually see that there were once county courts distinct from the circuit and superior courts, but these were abolished. There are also the Marion County Small Claims courts and the Lake Superior Court’s county divisions. There are also city courts listed.