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Hon. Cynthia Ayers
Members of the Bench and Bar celebrated Judge Ayers’ retirement on Feb. 27 at the Community Justice Center. Judge Ayers will officially retire from the bench on March 15, 2024.
Assigned court?
I am assigned to sit in Marion Superior Court Civil Division IV.
How long have you been a Marion Superior Court judge? Judicial officer?
I have been on the bench in the same court since 1991, 32 years. I served as commissioner in Circuit Court for three years before taking the bench.
Other projects, committees or service roles you are involved in off the bench?
I have taught professional responsibility since 2010 as an adjunct professor at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. I have also served as adjunct professor at the Indiana School of Public and Environmental Affairs. I served as president of the Indianapolis Bar Association. I have been a member of a variety of committees during my career and worked on projects for the Indiana State Bar Association, Indianapolis Bar Association, and the Judicial Council of the National Bar Association and the Indiana Judges Association. The subjects included civil jury instructions, mortgage foreclosure, Child Support and Child Visitation Guidelines, diversity in mediators and many others.
Best tip you have for lawyers appearing in your court or criminal law courts in general?
Whether for a hearing or when in trial, be organized, be brief and to the point. Present the court with the cases or statutes that support your position. Be professional and civil to your opponents.
Your mentor(s) and the greatest insight you gained from them?
Of course, I have had several along the way, but Judge Clarence Bolden Sr. (deceased) stands out. Judge Bolden was the first judge who allowed me to sit Pro Temp for him. Judge Bolden explained that you must listen carefully to the evidence, follow the law and fashion a just result that fits the entire circumstance. He advised that learning to use discretion appropriately was the toughest part of the job of judge. He also encouraged me to add a little humor to my day whenever possible, both in and out of the courtroom.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I enjoy spending time with my grandchildren shopping and going to their sporting events, studying French online, traveling, reading, writing my novel (that I have been working on for six years), and working out. I am a huge Pacers fan and like to attend games whenever I can.
If you weren’t a judge, what would you be doing?
If I were not a judge, I would be a public school administrator. If I could choose a different career, I would have liked to have been superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools. Educating our children well is the single most important task that we can accomplish.•
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