Opinion ID: 2058422
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Part-Time Employee of the Circuit Court

Text: The trial court concluded that Miller was an employee of the Marion Circuit Court. The PERF Board disagrees, arguing that Miller was a public officer not covered by the City-County Council's Resolution. The Board maintains that unless Miller's office of magistrate is expressly taken into PERF, he is not entitled to credit for his service as a magistrate. The new city-county government declared the employees of a number of Marion County offices to be covered by PERF in Special Resolution No. 14, 1974. Section 3 of the Resolution enumerated the departments and included: Circuit Court of Marion County Superior Court 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of Marion County Criminal Court Division 1, 2, 3, and 4 of Marion County Probate Court Presiding Judge of the Municipal Court of Marion County The Resolution did not mention the Magistrate Court. The legislature had abolished it in 1971. 1971 Ind. Acts, P.L. 433, § 17. The PERF statute, however, allows former employees of a covered department to claim credit for service. A member who has past service as an employee of ... a participating political subdivision in a position which was not covered by the retirement fund is entitled to credit for this service if the position becomes covered before January 1, 1985, by ... [PERF]... . Ind. Code § 5-10.2-3-1(c). Miller claimed credit for his service as an employee of the Marion Circuit Court. Miller's position as a magistrate had some characteristics of an employee of the circuit court. At the time of Miller's appointment, circuit judges appointed magistrates and could remove them. 1939 Ind. Acts, Ch. 164, § 2. They also determined the hours of work and fixed the magistrates' salary with approval of the board of commissioners. Id. §§ 2(f), 3(c). The position of magistrate, however, also had some characteristics of an independent officer who would have to be expressly taken into PERF. Magistrates took an oath. Id. § 2(d). They had the same power as circuit court judges in relation to attendance of witnesses, the punishment of contempt, and the enforcement of orders. Id. § 5(c). The legislature conferred jurisdiction on them and gave them powers and duties. Id. §§ 4-5. Assuming arguendo that Miller was an employee of the Marion Circuit Court, PERF claims he was not covered because he worked part-time. The PERF statute and the Resolution are the two sources of law which could define the membership rights of part-time employees. The PERF statute does not exclude Miller from the Fund. While the statute now provides that only full-time employees may be members, the legislature did not add this requirement until 1982. 1982 Ind. Acts, P.L. 37, § 2. Another provision specifically excludes an employee who works less than 600 hours per year from PERF. Ind. Code § 5-10.3-7-2(2). That statutory section does not define part-time employment but excludes employees who work only briefly for the governmental entity. Miller worked between 1300 and 1400 hours per year in a permanent position. The trial court correctly concluded that the PERF statute does not exclude Miller from membership. Beyond statutory requirements for membership, the political subdivision must choose to cover the position. The political subdivision has the power to define which positions are included or excluded from the Fund. Ind. Code § 5-10.3-6-1. Section Four of Special Resolution 14, 1974 states, It is hereby declared that none of the classifications or positions specified in Section Three are [covered] ... in a part-time category. In the initial determination letter Miller received, the Executive Secretary of PERF pointed out that Section Four had been deleted and amended by City-County Resolution No. 24, 1974. Although a copy of the later resolution is not included in the record, the changes appear to reaffirm the exclusion of part-time employees. The law creating the Magistrate Court allowed the circuit judge to appoint a magistrate on either a full-time or a part-time basis. 1939 Ind. Acts, Ch. 164, § 2. In 1965, the legislature eliminated the authority to appoint full-time judges for the Magistrate Court, leaving part-time judges only; it also transferred the power of appointment from the circuit judge to the governor. 1965 Ind. Acts, Ch. 433, §§ 1(a), 2(a). Thus, during the last year of his service, Miller could not have served full-time as an employee of the circuit court. The evidence before the agency was that Miller's supervisor had always regarded him as part-time. Judge Niblack stated in a deposition that the Speedway Magistrate Court was a part-time court holding two sessions a week. He said he appointed Miller as a part-time judge as compared to a full-time judge like himself. In response, Miller presented testimony from George M. Ober, a magistrate in Speedway from 1948 to 1956. Ober said the circuit judge expected him to be on call 24 hours a day. Ober also said he installed a private phone line in his home for the purpose of issuing search warrants and determining bond. Although the position required Miller to work 1300-1400 hours a year and be available all other hours of the day, the position remained part-time. The City-County Council decided not to provide part-time employees with PERF coverage. Because the Resolution excluded part-time employees from PERF coverage, Miller is not entitled to credit for his service as a magistrate. The trial court is reversed. DeBRULER and DICKSON, JJ., concur. GIVAN, J., dissents with opinion in which PIVARNIK, J., joins.