Pence appoints Hurley to St. Joseph bench

Gov. Mike Pence on Monday made his first appointment to the judiciary, announcing Elizabeth C. Hurley will fill a vacancy when St. Joseph Superior Judge Roland W. Chamblee retires March 31.

“I'm pleased to appoint Elizabeth Hurley to the St. Joseph Superior Court where she has already proven to be a valuable part of the court system,” Pence said in a statement. “She has the character, life experiences and professional skills that make her a good fit for the position. Undoubtedly, Judge Hurley will continue to be a strong leader when she assumes her new role as Superior Court Judge.”

Hurley became a magistrate in the St. Joseph Circuit Court in January 2012 after serving nine years in the county prosecutor’s office working with child support, family violence, and major crimes divisions. She serves on the Violence Fatality Review Team, Bench and Bar Committee and Civility Subcommittee of the St. Joseph County Bar Association.
 
Hurley earned her J.D. from Notre Dame University School of Law after graduating cum laude with a B.A. from Villanova University.

Other finalists for the position were Mary Catherine Andres, St. Joseph deputy prosecuting attorney; attorney Scott Duerring, Duerring Law Offices in South Bend; Andre B. Gammage, managing partner at Berger & Gammage in South Bend; and Jeffrey Lane Sanford, deputy public defender for St. Joseph County and deputy city attorney in South Bend.

Gammage, Sanford and Hurley also were among five finalists for another upcoming vacancy that will occur when St. Joseph Superior Chief Judge Michael P. Scopelitis retires in June. Other candidates for that vacancy are Steven L. Hostetler, a partner at Thorne Grodnik LLP; and Mark F. James, associate at Anderson Agostino & Keller P.C.

Finalists for that judicial position were selected March 19, and Pence has 60 days from formal notification of the finalists to name an appointee. The finalists were selected after interviews with the St. Joseph County Judicial Nominating Commission that consists of seven members – three attorneys and three non-attorneys and chaired by Justice Mark Massa.