Source: WISH-TV
MARION COUNTY, Ind.–A Marion County Constable has been told that she is no longer allowed to do personal service for the Center Township Small Claims Court.
Denise Paul Hatch has been the Center Township Constable in Marion County since she was elected in November of 2022. A court order issued by Center Township Small Claims Court Judge Brenda Roper says Hatch “has failed to maintain any meaningful contact with the Court so that personal service of process and orders of the Court can be completed. In addition, the official has made statements to the general public on October 12-13, 2023, of the official’s intent and awareness of obligations to complete tasks as defined by Indiana law but has chosen not to perform the duties of office.”
A copy of that court order can be seen here.
Hatch is also denied the ability to speak to her deputies on the radio. IndyPolitics reports that this was done in part because Paul Hatch had hired a couple of felons who cannot be township constables under state law.
Paul Hatch is considering filing litigation against the Small Claims Court.
The constable’s job is to serve legal papers, like eviction notices, along with summons and subpoenas for people to appear in criminal and/or civil court cases. They are paid for every legal paper they deliver.
May 2023
Back in May of 2023, Hatch was seen on video confronting IMPD police officers over the possible eviction of a tenant.
Video of the confrontation was recorded by an employee of a packing company on the scene and uploaded to YouTube.
The video shows Constable Hatch get pushed back from entering the home by a fully uniformed officer. What happened next was a profanity-laden argument between Hatch and two IMPD officers. Hatch repeatedly shouted obscenities at both officers.
“Yes, I used a couple of cuss words because that’s what they understand,” said Hatch at a news conference in May.
She was charged with contempt of court back in May and was told at a hearing to execute all future orders that were handed down to her by the court.
A lawyer representing the property management company Streelane Homes filed a motion claiming Hatch was in contempt for attempting to prevent the eviction of a family from one of their properties.
Judge Roper did not decide whether or not Hatch is in contempt of court at that time because of what happened, but the judge did decide to appoint a special constable to handle all evictions for Streelane Homes.
Hatch stood by her decision to prevent the eviction. She claimed the person who lived there showed her a court order delaying the eviction. The Marion County Small Claims Court had denied the application for a delayed eviction.
