City, town court judges to appear on November ballot

Voters in 25 Indiana counties will select their local city and/or town court judges when they head to the polls on Nov. 7.

A total of 33 cities and five towns will have municipal court seats on next month’s ballot. Only three of those races — in Zionsville, New Castle and Crown Point — are contested.

Article 6, Section 6 of the Indiana Constitution requires local officers, including municipal judges, to reside within the county, township or town where they are elected. Indiana Code § 3-8-1-1.5 provides that city judges serving in a city with a population of 250,000-270,000, and judges of any town court, must be attorneys in good standing with the Indiana bar.

However, under I.C. 33-35-5-7.5, a person who is not an attorney in good standing but who was serving as a municipal judge as of June 30, 2015, is permitted to complete the term to which they were elected before July 1, 2015, then continue serving consecutive elected terms. But if that person leaves office, the exception no longer applies.

Here’s a look at who’s running for city or town court judge in this year’s general election.

Contested races

Boone County
Zionsville Town Court:

Judith “Judi” Coffey (D) vs. Samantha Spencer (R)*

Henry County
New Castle City Court:

David G. Sadler (D) vs. Joseph B. Lansinger (R)*

Lake County
Crown Point City Court:

Betsy Lucas Barnes (D) vs. Kent A. Jeffirs (R)*

Uncontested races

Boone County
Lebanon City Court: Alexander S. Kruse (R)

Clinton County
Frankfort City Court: Matthew K. Beardsley (R)*

Dearborn County
Lawrenceburg City Court: Joseph Johns (D)*

Delaware County
Muncie City Court: Amanda C. Dunnuck (D)*

Elkhart County
Elkhart City Court: Charles H. Grodnik (R)*
Goshen City Court: Richard L. Mehl (R)*
Nappanee City Court**: Christopher Walter (R)*

Fountain County
Attica City Court: Mark W. Mason (R)*

Franklin County
Batesville City Court**: Jenna Brooks Rohrig (R)

Grant County
Gas City City Court: Steven J. Barker (R)*
Marion City Court: Michael T. Hotz (R)*

Hamilton County
Carmel City Court: Brian G. Poindexter (R)*
Fishers City Court: Daniel E. Henke (R)*
Noblesville City Court: Matt Cook (R)*

Jay County
Portland: City Court: Donald C. Gillespie (R)*

Johnson County
Franklin: City Court: K. Mark Loyd (R)*
Greenwood City Court: Drew Foster (R)*

Kosciusko County
Nappanee City Court**: Christopher Walter (R)*

Lake County
East Chicago City Court: Sonya Morris (D)*
Gary City Court: Deidre L. Monroe (D)*
Hobart City Court: Joseph Nugent (D)
Lake Station City Court: Josh Matejczyk (D)*
Lowell Town Court: Richard N. Shapiro (R)*
Merrillville Town Court: Eugene M. Velazco Jr. (D)*
Schererville Town Court: Randy Wyllie (D)*

Madison County
Anderson City Court: Jason Jamerson (D)*
Elwood City Court**: Kyle F. Noone (D)*

Marion County
Beech Grove City Court: Andrew J. Wells (R)*

Miami County
Peru City Court: Elizabeth G. Price (R)*

Morgan County
Martinsville City Court: Mark Peden (R)*
Mooresville Town Court: Susan J. Leib (R)*

Ripley County
Batesville City Court**: Jenna Brooks Rohrig (R)

Starke County
Knox City Court: Charles F. Hasnerl (R)*

Tippecanoe County
West Lafayette City Court: Lori Stein Sabol (D)*

Tipton County
Elwood City Court**: Kyle F. Noone (D)*

Vermillion County
Clinton City Court: Donald J. Bonomo (D)*

Vigo County
Terre Haute City Court: Kenneth E. McVey III (D)*

Wabash County
Wabash City Court: Timothy A. Roberts (R)*