DeGuilio named new chief judge for Northern District of Indiana

A new chief judge has been chosen to lead the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, the court announced Tuesday.

Northern District Judge Jon E. DeGuilio became responsible for handling administrative matters and overseeing the day-to-day operations of the court as of June 1.

“I have the highest regard for my colleagues and the members of the bar. I’m truly honored to serve as Chief Judge of our court and mindful of the challenges we face during this very difficult time,” DeGuilio said in statement.

DeGuilio took over the leadership role after former Chief Judge Theresa Lazar Springmann announced last year she would take senior status. Chief judges are assigned based on seniority and other factors, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §136.

Springmann, who was appointed to the Northern District of Indiana Court in 2003 by President George W. Bush, officially stepped down from her role as chief judge on May 31, 2020. She had led the Northern District Court in that role since February 2017.

Indiana’s senators late last year accepted applications to fill the vacancy created by Springmann’s transition to senior judge last year, but as of Wednesday, President Donald Trump has not named a nominated a potential successor.

DeGuilio was appointed by President Barack Obama on May 13, 2010. He is a 1981 graduate of Valparaiso University School of Law and a 1977 graduate of the University of Notre Dame.

Prior to his appointment as a federal district judge, DeGuilio served as the executive vice president and general counsel for Peoples Bank from 1999 to 2010. He previously serviced as  United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana from 1993 and prosecuting attorney for Lake County from 1989 to 1993. Prior to that, he served part-time as a deputy prosecutor and public defender and in private practice from 1981 to 1989.