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Judges, friends, and family from across the state gathered in Indianapolis on Monday to celebrate the newest Indiana Court of Appeals judge, Mary DeBoer, at her robing ceremony inside the Indiana Statehouse.
Judge DeBoer was appointed by Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb back in September to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Patricia Riley.
A private swearing in ceremony was held a few weeks ago so DeBoer could start working, but Monday’s ceremony allowed her to celebrate the achievement with the community who helped get her there.
Prior to joining the Court of Appeals, DeBoer worked as a deputy prosecutor in Porter and Starke counties before serving as a magistrate judge in the Porter Superior Court.
In 2019, she was appointed by Governor Holcomb to the Porter County Circuit Court bench, where she presided over both civil and criminal cases ranging from malpractice to murder. DeBoer also presided over the circuit court’s juvenile and family drug court, where she said she learned several important lessons that she brings with her to the appeals court.
“I learned that sometimes when the parties’ volume goes up, my volume should go down, and once I started doing that, it was a game changer,” she told guests at the ceremony. “I also learned that I didn’t have to assert my authority, because I was the authority. You just have to find your way.”
Several of DeBoer’s colleagues shared praise and humorous stories of their friend, emphasizing her energy, passion, and hard work, all of which serve her well in her new position.
“Judge DeBoer can be defined by those two simple words, hard work,” said Gary Germann, a prosecutor in Porter County. “Anything and everything she does is at 100%, full scale.”
Court of Appeals Chief Judge Robert Altice, Jr. said the court finally has its own energizer bunny in DeBoer, remarking that the Indiana Supreme Court has its own energetic colleague in Chief Justice Loretta Rush.
DeBoer herself pointed to the Alanis Morrissette song, “Hand in My Pocket” to emphasize both her fun-loving personality and her dedication to her work.
“I’m bold, but I’m humble. I’m energetic, but I’m serious. I’m happy, but I’m restless. I’m friendly, but I’m firm. I’m funny, but I’m thoughtful. I’m new, but I’m driven. I’m slight, but I’m a force,” she said.
DeBoer left a lasting impression during her time in Porter County, starting the state’s only truancy problem-solving court and gathering the county’s school superintendents to discuss the growing issue of vaping in minors.
Right before she left for the appeals court, DeBoer also established a theater program in the county. The immersion in the arts program gives kids the chance to meet the director of education at the Chicago Street Theater and others to learn the many different roles in a theater production.
In the seven weeks since she started her new role, DeBoer said she’s heard her first oral argument, voted on two dozen cases, written 11 appellate opinions, and was asked to join a team to lead criminal justice reform across the state.
What has she not gotten to just yet? Her Christmas shopping.
She thanked the crowd for their attendance and their support throughout the process.
“Looking around the Supreme Court courtroom today, I realized that in the past, I’ve always been sitting where you are when I’ve attended these events for my friends,” she said. “I’ve never had this perspective. And to be honest, this is quite cooler.”
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