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The robing ceremony for new Court of Appeals of Indiana Judge Paul Felix featured plenty of laughs, reflection and even a recounting of the jurist’s brewing mastery.
Felix — who was among nine judges and lawyers to interview for the Court of Appeals vacancy in April — talked about the importance of patience, noting this was his third time applying for the Court of Appeals.
“The process to get here was long and challenging,” Felix said Thursday in the Indiana Supreme Court Courtroom in the Statehouse, where he thanked his family and judicial colleagues for helping him throughout his career.
By his count, Felix said he has been formally interviewed nine times — five by the Judicial Nominating Commission and four by Gov. Eric Holcomb’s team. Between those interviews, he said he also met individually with commission members 21 times.
“Now, say what you will about judicial selections — appointments versus elections,” he said. “I don’t think there’s anyone who can claim that the vetting process to serve as an appellate court judge in this state is anything other than detailed, fully encompassing and rigorous.”
Holcomb selected Felix to join the appellate court in June. He fills a vacancy left by retired Judge Margret Robb, who is now a senior judge on the Court of Appeals.
Felix had a private swearing-in ceremony in July.
Then on Thursday, Judges Cale Bradford and Rudolph Pyle ceremonially placed the robe on Felix.
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Felix came to the Court of Appeals from the Hamilton Circuit Court in Noblesville, where he had been a judge since 2009.
Looking back on his time as a trial court judge, Felix said he once got the advice that he should wear a pair of novelty Groucho Marx glasses if his decisions were overturned by the Court of Appeals — that way, no one would recognize him in the hall.
He then pulled a pair of the glasses out from the podium where he spoke.
“I think I’ll keep these Groucho Marx glasses handy,” he said to laughter, “for the first time one of my Court of Appeals decisions gets vacated by the Supreme Court.”
Court of Appeals Chief Judge Robert Altice welcomed Felix to the court, where he’s been working since July 28.
Felix is a “doer,” Altice said, adding that attitude makes him fit in with the rest of the appellate court judges.
“You give him something to do, he does it,” Altice said. “Sometimes you don’t even have to give him something to do. He just does it.”
Hamilton Superior Judge Richard Campbell presented Felix at the robing ceremony, where he commended Felix for the work he did in the county.
That included helping establish the Hamilton County Youth Assistance Program, which was founded in 2011 and focuses on preventing at-risk youth from entering the justice system.
Felix also helped bring the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative to Hamilton County. The initiative is meant to reallocate public resources from incarceration to investments in youth and their families.
Campbell also thanked Felix for more internal work with the county courts.
“I think Paul’s biggest accomplishment for Hamilton County was creating a sense of unity among the judiciary,” Campbell said, specifically referencing an idea Felix had years ago to play euchre during lunch.
Judges and magistrates now meet regularly to play the card game, Campbell said, using the time to also discuss legal issues.
“We all know each other better because of Paul,” he said.
Aside from euchre, Campbell said Felix’s hobbies include playing golf and making beer — to the tune of more than 55 gallons in the last three years, which Felix referenced in his Court of Appeals resume.
And he didn’t merely mention it in his application, Campbell said.
“He wrote a paragraph about it,” he said, getting a laugh from attendees.
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