Local News

Marion County Magistrate Court has a new plan for misdemeanor cases.

Tuesday was the first day for the county to initiate plea dates. This is when a defendant can plead guilty or not guilty to a misdemeanor charge.

The plea dates will be set within 45 to 60 days after the arrest, and hearings will be every fifteen minutes on the scheduled day.

Magistrates and attorneys of the county say this procedure can help cut back on the county's spending on overtime for investigating officers, and it can help with the flow of traffic that comes in and out of magistrate court throughout the week.

"Because we are so busy down here and we have so many cases, it's going to help us rectify the cases in a quicker manner. Plus, it will save the county, city, and the state money for not having to pay for the witness fees, the process of getting the subpoena served, and also the overtime on the officers," says Magistrate Cathy Reed-Vanatta.

"It reduces the volume, and myself being the primary prosecutor that handles those cases, it's very difficult to resolve the cases in a timely fashion. Therefore, this is an opportunity for us to consolidate things a little more and make the court system a little more productive and sufficient," says Eric Wildman, Prosecuting Attorney of Marion County Magistrate Court.

This is the first time for plea dates in Marion County.