Interim appellate court clerk replaces Smith

Long-serving Indiana appellate court clerk Kevin S. Smith resigned recently, and former deputy clerk Greg Pachmayr is now serving as interim clerk.

The transition came without announcement, and Smith appears to have stepped down in mid-March. Appellate court opinions last bore Smith’s official clerk stamp on March 16. Subsequent opinions are file stamped with a generic, unsigned seal from the clerk of the Indiana Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and Tax Court.

Smith, who served as clerk since 2006, could not be reached for comment Friday. A source familiar with the situation said Smith had resigned to pursue career opportunities in private practice. He was admitted to practice in 1997 and had a career in private practice prior to his tenure as clerk. Pachmayr was admitted to practice in 2009 and prior to serving as deputy clerk had worked in the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency.

Duties of the clerk include maintaining documents filed in appeals, collecting case filing fees that are deposited in the state general fund, and issuing orders and opinions from the appeals courts. Among other duties, the clerk also maintains the roll of attorneys, collects and distributes attorney licensing fees, and in conjunction with the Board of Law Examiners, twice annually administers the oath of attorneys to new lawyers.

Smith’s resignation comes amid numerous pending departures and changes in the leadership of the Division of State Court administration. The courts announced in February the creation of a new office of judicial administration to be led by a chief administrative officer and a fiscal officer. Friday is the deadline for applications for those positions.

Longtime Division of State Court Administrative Executive Director Lilia Judson is acting as interim CAO and plans to retire after facilitating a transition to the new CAO. Likewise, Friday is the final day for David Remondini, interim executive director of the Division of State Court Administration.