Dues has started scheduling cases

There’s a new judge in Jay County. And in due time, she’ll get through her court’s backlog.

Jay Superior Court Judge Gail Dues has begun scheduling jury trials in her court following an order from the Indiana Supreme Court pausing all trials until at least March.

Since then, she said she hasn’t received word from the Supreme Court on if that order will be extended. Nevertheless, she has begun preliminarily scheduling trials that may the court’s first since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Her court still handles all of its usual business outside jury trials, such as civil cases, most cases involving misdemeanor charges and small claims, all the while navigating around the potential spread of coronavirus.

“We try to not bring anybody from (Jay County Jail) unless we have to,” Dues said, noting that most hearings involving defendants who are in prison are conducted electronically.

As it was when Judge Max Ludy held the bench, Dues will mostly hear criminal cases involving defendants charged with misdemeanors and Level 6 felonies while Jay Circuit Court Judge Brian Hutchison will hear higher level felony cases unless there’s a conflict of interest.

Dues, a Jay County native, was a public defender for about 11 years before she defeated Ludy in the Republican primary in June 2020. She ran unopposed in the general election.

Hutchison noted Dues is the first woman to head Jay Superior Court.

“I’m not sure why it’s taken this long,” Hutchison said.

She first became licensed to practice law in Indiana in 2002 before becoming licensed in Ohio the following year.

In the years since, Dues said she has considered one day becoming a judge before she ran for office.

Just weeks into her six-year term, Dues said Hutchison has helped her transition to the bench.

“There’s always kind of a learning curve when you enter a job like this … but I don’t anticipate her needing much help,” Hutchison said.

Hutchison may hear cases involving clients Dues represented prior to her new job. If he is unable, those cases would go to Randolph or Adams counties’ courts, Dues said.