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Indiana Supreme Court Shields Some Stimulus Money From Creditors

Peter Balonon-Rosen/IPB News

The Indiana Supreme Court issued an order Monday to shield, at least in part, federal COVID-19 stimulus checks from creditors.

Groups including the Indiana Institute for Working Families and Prosperity Indiana had petitioned the court to help protect payments from the CARES Act.

The order halts state courts from issuing any new orders that seize or garnish the stimulus checks, except in child support cases.

READ MORE: IRS Launches Online Tool To Help Americans Get COVID-19 Relief Money Sooner

That doesn’t apply to past court orders, from before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Indiana. In those cases, a person who wants to protect their stimulus money must have a court hearing – whether in-person or remotely.

The order only lasts as long as Indiana is under a public health emergency.

Contact Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

This is a rapidly evolving story, and we are working hard to bring you the most up-to-date information. However, we recommend checking the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Indiana State Department of Health for the most recent numbers of COVID-19 cases.

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.