Tippecanoe County Court

County Resources

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Tippecanoe County is in the west-central part of Indiana about 22 miles east of the Illinois state line and less than 50 miles from Chicago. As of the 2020 census, the population was 186-251. The county seat and largest city is Lafayette. Tippecanoe was named for a Miami people term “place of the buffalo fish people.” The county is famous for Purdue University (in West Lafayette), the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe, and the stately Tippecanoe County Courthouse.
The county only spans 503 miles and is basically flat except for the Lauramie Township. The county council is the fiscal branch of county government and controls the spending and revenue collection. The county council and board of commissioners share legislative authority. Council members serve four-year terms and are responsible for setting salaries, annual budgets, and special events. The council can also limit and impose local taxes. There is a small claims court that handles civil cases. Court decisions are often appealed to the state-level circuit court. The county votes Democratic. It is a conservative county, which is unusual since it is dominated by a prominent college.

County Courthouse

The Tippecanoe County Courthouse is located in the public square in Lafayette between the north-south 3rd and 4th Street and east-west Main and Columbia Streets. The courthouse is two and a half stories tall on a raised basement. It is a mixture of many styles but is built from Indiana limestone. This was the most expensive courthouse built in the state for at least twenty years. The courthouse has one hundred columns, nine statues, an elongated dome with a four- clock faces and a 3,000 pound bell. A statue of Liberty tops the dome at a height of 212 feet.

County Clerk

The County Clerk is Julie Roush who processes record requests. This includes marriage and divorce paperwork, and case filings. She is also responsible for Court records, recording and requesting payments, posting bonds, collecting court fees and fines, and taking care of replacement certificates of titles.
The County Clerk’s office is located at:
301 Main Street, 2nd Floor
Lafayette, IN 47901
Phone: 765-9326

District Court

District Court for Tippecanoe County is included in the Northern District of Indiana. There is a divisional office in Lafayette. The address for the District Court is:
United States District Court
Northern District of Indiana
Charles A. Halleck Federal Building
230 North Fourth St., Room 105
Lafayette, IN 47901-1322
765-420-6250.

District Court in Lafayette for Tippecanoe County is where cases are tried, witnesses testify, and jury service. The district court has its judges and conducts bankruptcies as well as criminal and misdemeanor cases.

Superior Courts

Superior Court in Tippecanoe County Indiana includes Superior Court 1 which is a court of general civil and criminal jurisdiction. The felony Forensic Division Court is handled through Superior Court 1. Cases and support hearings are set for Monday mornings.

Superior Court 2 is one of seven courts in Tippecanoe County. This court was established by the Indiana State Legislature in 1970. The Court is located on the 4th Floor of the Tippecanoe County Courthouse. In addition to the Circuit Court and Superior Court 1, Superior Court 2 hears major criminal cases like murders and felonies, dissolution of marriages and family law matters plus different plenary civil and tort cases. Superior Court 2 approves fee waiver requests in divorce actions, oversees the family counseling fund, and administers court report transcript claims.

Superior Court 3 is the Juvenile Court for Tippecanoe County. This court handles cases that are related to guardianship, paternity, child support, termination of parental rights, children in need of services, and juvenile delinquency. The court also handles the Juvenile Magistrate IV-D Court and the Court Appointed Special Advocate Program, Juvenile Probation, and all services related to juveniles.

Superior Court 4 is the landlord/tenant cases, small claims court, misdemeanor, and D felony drug cases. Superior 4 is also the Therapeutic Drug Court home.

Superior Court 5 handles general jurisdiction and handles misdemeanor and up to level 6 felony cases. Typical cases may include criminal conversion, criminal recklessness, cruelty to animals, disorderly conduct, domestic violence cases, exploitation of endangered adults, intimidation, minor consumption of alcohol, public intoxication, and resisting law enforcement. It also handles theft cases, residential entry, and trespass.

Superior Court 6 has jurisdiction over traffic cases that include traffic infractions, misdemeanors, and level 6 felonies like operating a vehicle while intoxicated and other criminal cases involving the use of a motor vehicle. Child restraint issues, reckless driving, driving without a license, and leaving the scene of an accident are also cases handled by Superior Court 6.
Superior Court 7 handles hybrid dockets that include a variety of criminal misdemeanors and Level 6 felony cases, eviction and landlord-tenant issues involving amounts at the small claim level, and divorce cases without children. This Court is on the 3rd floor of the courthouse on the east side near the Circuit courtroom and court offices.

Circuit Court

This court is the Court established by Indiana’s Constitution. The court has been Tippecanoe’s Court of general jurisdiction since 1826. Circuit Court in addition to Superior Court and Superior Court 2 handles major criminal, domestic relations, and civil cases. The Circuit Court has exclusive jurisdiction in probate matters including estates, guardianships adoptions, and trusts. The Circuit Court shares jurisdiction over juvenile cases with Superior Court 3, but Superior #3 handles most of the juvenile cases.

Felony Drug Court

Tippecanoe County Court Services uses an alcohol and drug program that evaluates and refers offenders to appropriate agencies. It is located at:

Court Services
301 Main Street 1st Floor
Tippecanoe County Courthouse
Lafayette, IIN 47901