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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowRyan Mears, who was tapped to serve as interim Marion County prosecutor earlier this week, announced his candidacy for the office Wednesday.
The Marion County prosecutor position became open after Terry Curry stepped down Sept. 23 due to health concerns. Curry, a Democrat, was re-elected in 2018 to his third term, which will end Dec. 31, 2022.
A caucus of Marion County Democratic precinct committeepersons will be called within 30 days to select the individual who will fulfill the remainder of Curry’s term. Other candidates could announce their candidacies for the position.
Mears served under Curry as chief trial deputy since 2015 and has 12 years of experience as deputy prosecutor in Marion County. He is a graduate of St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer and earned his J.D. from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.
“In the past four years as chief trial deputy, I have worked with local officials and community members to bring new expectations of balance and fairness to criminal justice in our county,” Mears stated in a press release announcing his candidacy. “I look forward to the opportunity to serve as the elected prosecutor to champion justice for victims of crime, make it a priority to support those who seek a second chance, and to walk with neighbors as we improve public safety and prosperity in our community.”
Curry’s announcement that he will step down marks the second time in recent months that political parties have had to take the rare step of caucusing to fill a vacancy left by the departure of an elected prosecutor. Republicans in Johnson County last month chose chief deputy prosecutor Joe Villanueva to succeed Bradley Cooper, who was removed from office upon his guilty plea in July in a felony domestic violence case.
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