The Marion County Judicial Selection Committee is beginning the process of selecting two new superior court judges. Judge John Hanley (Court 11, Civil Division) and Judge Mark Stoner (Court 32, Major Felony Division) will retire effective December 31, 2024, creating two vacancies on the Marion Superior Court.

Justice Derek Molter, Committee Chairperson, and Court of Appeals Chief Judge Robert Altice, Jr., Vice Chairperson, announced applications for the vacancy are available online and must be submitted through the Indiana Courts Portal by Monday, September 9 at 12:00 p.m. (Eastern). Only one application is required to be considered for both vacancies.

Chief Justice Loretta Rush announced on August 1 that the Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission will begin accepting applications for a vacancy on the Court of Appeals. The position on the state's second highest court will become available when Judge Terry Crone, representing the third appellate district, retires this fall.

Chief Justice Rush, who chairs the Commission, and Court of Appeals Chief Judge Robert Altice, Jr. encourage eligible Indiana judges and lawyers to consider applying. Applications are due by September 12 at noon (Eastern).

Keep reading for more details.

Attached are the following proposed amendments to the Marion County Local Court Rules and ask for comment from the bar and the public. Here is a summary of the changes:
 
The Marion Superior Court plans to convert D33 from a L6/misdemeanor court to a court with the following case types: ordinance violations, infractions and evictions. All D33 criminal cases will be randomly distributed amongst the remaining L6/misdemeanor courts and the current traffic OV and IF cases along with the civil OV and EV cases will be transferred into D33. 
 
The amended rule will be effective on August 31, 2024, or the date of approval by the Indiana Supreme Court. Comments to this proposed Local Rule amendment will be received through noon on August 29, 2024. Comments to this proposed amended Local Rule should be emailed to the Office of the Court Administrator, c/o Emily VanOsdol, at Emily.VanOsdol@indy.gov or mailed to: 
 
Emily VanOsdol 
Office of the Court Administrator 
Marion County Circuit and Superior Courts 
675 Justice Way Indianapolis, IN 46203
 

IndyBar members have the opportunity to join a Conversational Spanish class with Indiana University Indianapolis.

The legal community is invited to attend the public robing ceremony of recently appointed Marion Superior Court Judge Patricia McMath on Thursday, August 22 at 3:30 p.m. in the Community Justice Center’s Jury/Public Assembly Room. There will be open seating with additional standing room available. The ceremony is expected to last less than one hour. Registration is not required. Open seating will be first come, first serve beginning at 3:00 p.m.

Judge McMath serves as a magistrate for the Marion County Superior Courts civil division since 2021. Prior to her role as a magistrate, she worked in the Office of the Attorney General where she served as the assistant chief deputy. Judge McMath serves as a member of the judiciary’s Protection Order Committee and is chair of the IndyBar’s Standing Committee on Professionalism. She received an undergraduate degree from Indiana University and a law degree from Indiana University Maurer School of Law.

Following the landmark affirmative action decision by the United States Supreme Court last June, Diversity Equity and Inclusion (“DEI”) efforts across the country have been under attack.  Supporters of the decision, feeling emboldened, have launched a barrage of efforts to expand the scope of the decision and eliminate DEI initiatives across all industries.  However, as Justice Sotomayor aptly pointed out in her dissenting opinion, “diversity is now a fundamental American value, housed in our varied and multicultural American community that only continues to grow.  The pursuit of racial diversity will go on.” In keeping with these words, the Indianapolis Bar Association has developed a new DEI-centered event titled: IndyBar Unites: A Morning of Meaningful Conversations...