Starke County Prosecutor Leslie Baker gave an update to the Starke County Council and Commissioners last week on what is happening with her office and the court system in the midst of the COVID-19 health pandemic.
She noted that there is a backlog of non-violent cases but efforts are being made to move defendants through the system as swiftly as possible.
The Supreme Court has halted all trials until further notice, but Baker said measures have been taken to get defendants before the judges for hearings.
“We have been able to set some things for hearings,” said Baker. “We are practicing COVID safety by scheduling people by way of Zoom hearings and we’re minimizing interactions with individuals. We’re starting to get things moving back in court.”
She commented that creative measures have taken place in terms of filing criminal charges and minimizing contact between offenders and officers.
A bigger issue that COVID-19 has created is a disruption of counseling services. Baker said she hopes many of the services can continue with many participants soon. More importantly, she encourages victims and witnesses to schedule meetings with staff in the Prosecutor’s Office to discuss cases.
“I’m encouraging the public – if you need someone in the Prosecutor’s Office, there’s always someone in the office for our victims or witnesses in cases that want to meet with somebody in the office. I would just encourage them to call ahead. That way we can let the guards know about appointments. I understand the guards are operating with their rules so I just want to make sure that people know we’re there and we’re available to meet with them. It would be better if appointments are made.”
The phone number to call to set up an appointment is 574-772-6267.
