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The Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission interviewed seven candidates Tuesday for an impending vacancy on the Indiana Court of Appeals.
Candidates are vying to replace Judge Terry Crone, who is retiring next month.
All of the candidates hail from the northern part of the state. Two of the candidates are practitioners, while five are trial court judges.
Six of the applicants interviewed with the commission earlier this year for an appellate court vacancy created by Senior Judge Patricia Riley’s retirement.
Gov. Eric Holcomb appointed Judge Mary DeBoer as Riley’s successor.
Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP Partner Anna Mandula was the first to be interviewed Tuesday morning by the commission.
Commission member Tony Patterson, a partner with Parr Richey, asked Mandula why she thinks its important to have a practitioner’s perspective on the appellate bench.
“I think that brings a good dynamic. I know what the judge does from my standpoint as a lawyer, but I also think that in my statement as a practitioner, particularly my fact is I’m still doing much writing, and I very much enjoy, as well as research and the analysis,” Mandula said.
Lee Christie, a partner with Christie Farrell Lee & Bell, asked Mandula what she learned from the first interview and how has she prepared this time around.
Mandula said the experience gave her perspective and a chance to look for particular ways to prepare.
Chief Justice Loretta Rush, the commission’s chair, asked Mandula what topic she would discuss if she is appointed to the bench and asked to give a continuing legal education event at the Lake County Bar Association.
She said one of the top things that came to mind is her involvement with National Adoption Day in Lake County.
Mandula noted she has 17 years of practice.
She said the role of appellate judge provides an opportunity for mentorship.
Allen Superior Court Judge Andrew S. Williams was interviewed next by the commission. He didn’t interview for Riley’s vacancy.
Williams noted that he has 18 years of experience practicing law, with a focus on civil law.
Hilbrich Law Firm Partner Daniel Vinovich asked Williams how he would describe his judicial philosophy.
“My judicial philosophy is to get it right,” Williams said. “I think that most important thing that we can do as judges is to make sure that we make the right decision.”
Christie asked Williams if there was anything during his time on the bench that he would do differently.
Williams recalled a mental health case in which a person had multiple attempts to take their own life. Eventually, he had a meeting with treatment providers, the attorneys and the patient and discussed what happened and next steps.
“He just needed any more supervision. He needed to know that there was somebody there available whenever he had this problem. We want to encourage people that go through something, to reach out for help. But I wish I could have done it sooner,” Williams said.
Williams was asked if he has any concerns about the judicial system.
“The attack that we’ve seen on our judicial system. I don’t know that the attacks that we’ve seen on our judicial system are warranted. I don’t want to see the judicial system become politicized, as our judges are impartial, our judges stay out of politics as much as we possibly can,” Williams said. “the judicial system is such an important part of our system. If people don’t trust the judicial system, I don’t what’s left.”
He added that people need to trust the judiciary.
The commission next interviewed A. Elizabeth Underwood, a visiting law professor at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.
Rush asked Underwood what she is teaching at McKinney. She replied that she is teaching contract law to first year students.
The chief justice followed up with a question on if Underwood has noticed anything different from law school now compared when she was a student.
Underwood said she has not. She stated she enjoys teaching and seeing her students faces light up when they figure something out.
Underwood is still practicing law while teaching full time. She will be teaching constitutional law in the law school’s spring semester.
Danny Lopez, executive vice president at Pacers Sports & Entertainment and a Republican candidate for the state’s House of Representatives, asked what Underwood had learned from her first time interviewing with the commission.
“I learned that you’re enough and that you need to come and be authentic with the process,” Underwood said.
The commission next interviewed LaPorte Superior Court Judge Jamie Oss.
Lopez asked Oss if there is anything she would do over if she could. Oss said there are times when a litigants make her angry, but that she has gotten better at calling for a recess.
“It doesn’t happen very often, but occasionally, we’re human,” Oss said.
Oss noted the attorney shortage in the state and how the Indiana Supreme Court has recently approved programs like the regulatory sandbox program to help with the issue.
She was asked what she would bring to the appellate bench. Oss said she would bring engagement to the court.
“I feel called to do this,” Oss said. “My dad was called to be a lawyer. I was called to be a judge.”
St. Joseph Superior Court Judge Stephen E. Scheele was a finalist for the Riley vacancy.
Stewart asked what advice Scheele would give to someone starting the process to apply for the appellate bench.
“It is not for the faint of heart,” Scheele asked.
Rush asked what areas does Scheele think judges could use more training.
He said training on direct verdicts would be helpful.
Scheele said that one of the things in his area of the state that could be addressed is the change of judge rules.
“There’s the rule component to that, and then there is also the the logistical component to it,” Scheele said.
He added that there needs to be work done on making that process more seamless.
Lake Superior Court Judge Gina Jones was interviewed by the commission after lunch.
Patterson asked Jones what she would miss about being on the trial bench if appointed by Holcomb to the Court of Appeals.
She said she would miss the face-to-face interactions with people in her courtroom.
“The level of impact that you have when someone can physically see you and hear your voice,” Jones said.
Christie asked if there is anything Jones has changed since she last interviewed with the commission.
Jones recalled a teachable moment she had in her court during jury selection, where a potential juror wrote negative remarks about being called in for jury duty.
“I decided to make it a teachable moment for everyone in the room, and I started to explain, ‘we the people,’ what does that mean, and the whole point of having the jury system is so ‘we the people’ can make a decision,” Jones said.
Jones added that she has a collaborative leadership style.
Kitchell asked Jones what judges can do to instill public trust. Jones said consistency.
“I think having a baseline of fairness is so important,” Jones said.
St. Joseph Superior Court Judge Stephanie E. Steele was a finalist to fill Riley’s vacancy.
Rush started by asking Steele how she thinks appellate opinions should be written.
Steele said she always considers how she would explain something to her mother or aunt. She added that decisions should be written in a way that an average person can understand.
Patterson asked Steele what she had learned about herself after her first interview with the commission.
“I learned that I am stronger than I thought I was and more resilient than I thought I was,” Steele said.
Steele said one thing she is passionate about is being out in the community and at schools, talking to children about what it looks like to have a law career.
That is something that has been on her mind due to the state’s attorney shortage, Steele said.
This story has been updated.
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