30 apply for Indiana Supreme Court vacancy

Thirty judges and lawyers have applied to succeed Justice Brent Dickson on the Indiana Supreme Court. They are:

• Judge James R. Ahler, Jasper Superior Court, Rensselaer;
• Judge Vicki L. Carmichael, Clark Circuit Court 4, New Albany;
• Magistrate Judge Paul R. Cherry, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Hammond;
• Eugene N. Chipman Jr., Marshall County Prosecutor’s Office, Plymouth;
• David E. Cook, Indiana Alcohol & Tobacco Commission, Indianapolis;
• Judge Kit C. Crane, Henry Circuit Court 2, New Castle;
• Judge Darrin M. Dolehanty, Wayne Superior Court 3, Richmond;
• Judge Thomas J. Felts, Allen Circuit Court, Fort Wayne;
• Indiana Solicitor General Thomas M. Fisher, Indianapolis;
• Elizabeth C. Green, Riley Bennett & Egloff LLP, Indianapolis;
• Judge Frances C. Gull, Allen Superior Court, Fort Wayne;
• Lyle R. Hardman, Hunt Suedhoff Kalamaros LLP, South Bend;
• Judge Steven L. Hostetler, St. Joseph Superior Court, South Bend
• Judge Matthew C. Kincaid, Boone Superior Court 1, Lebanon;
• Mark A. Lienhoop, Newby Lewis Kaminski & Jones LLP, LaPorte;
• Judge Sally A. McLaughlin, Dearborn Superior Court 2, Lawrenceburg;
• Judge Larry W. Medlock, Washington Circuit Court, Salem;
• Hon. Steven R. Nation, Hamilton Superior Court 1, Noblesville;
• Jaime M. Oss, Huelat Mack & Kreppein P.C., Michigan City;
• Bryce D. Owens, Owens and Owens, Pendleton;
• Peter J. Rusthoven, Barnes & Thornburg LLP, Indianapolis;
• John H. Shean, Shean Law Offices, Bloomington;
• Curtis E. Shirley, Indianapolis;
• Geoffrey G. Slaughter, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, Indianapolis;
• Ted A. Waggoner, Peterson Waggoner & Perkins, LLP, Rochester;
• Rep. Thomas W. Washburne, Old National Bancorp, Evansville;
• Leanna K. Weissmann, Lawrenceburg;
• Thomas E. Wheeler II, Frost Brown Todd LLC, Indianapolis;
• Karen A. Wyle, Karen A. Wyle Law Office, Bloomington; and
• Thomas P. Yoder, Barrett McNagny LLP, Fort Wayne.

Initial interviews with the Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission will be Feb. 17-19, with a second round March 3-4. Interviews are open to the public and will take place at the Statehouse in room 319. In recent Supreme Court vacancies, the commission has selected around 10 semifinalists in the first round before choosing three finalists.

Led by Chief Justice Loretta Rush and consisting of three lawyers and three lay members from around the state, the Judicial Nominating Commission submits names of three finalists to Gov. Mike Pence, who then has 60 days to select the next justice.

When the February interview schedule is made public, applications and photographs also will be made available online, state courts said. Attachments, including writing samples and transcripts, will be available Feb. 5 from 10:00-11:30 a.m. in the Supreme Court Law Library. After February 5, the attachments are available in person at the library.

Dickson, the second-longest-tenured justice in Indiana history, announced he will assume senior judge status April 29, after 30 years on the bench.