(Third District)
415 State House
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 232-6880
Paul D. Mathias is a fifth-generation Hoosier who deeply believes that Indiana is a special place to live. He is honored to serve on the Court of Appeals, where he strives daily to reflect and protect Hoosier values within the law. He's handed down more than 3,000 opinions while serving on the appellate court, including 2,948 majority opinions and 74 dissenting opinions.
Judge Mathias first practiced law in Fort Wayne for six years, concentrating in construction law, personal injury, and appellate practice. He was appointed Referee of the Allen County Small Claims Court in 1985 and served as Judge of the Allen Superior Court from 1989-2000. In 2000, he was appointed to the Court of Appeals. He was retained by election in 2002, 2012, and 2022.
Judge Mathias's professional achievements are rooted in a strong education. He attended public schools in Fort Wayne, where he was a National Merit Finalist and college scholarship recipient. In 1976, Judge Mathias graduated cum laude from Harvard University with a bachelor's degree in General Studies, concentrating in Government. He earned his law degree in 1979 from Indiana University School of Law-Bloomington, where he was a member of the Sherman Minton Moot Court Team and the Order of Barristers.
One of Judge Mathias's most notable decisions as an appellate judge was his opinion in Timbs v. Indiana holding that Indiana's civil forfeiture law was unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. The case was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, which unanimously agreed and held that the Eighth Amendment's Excessive Fines Clause protects individuals from disproportionate fines in all fifty states under the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause.
Judge Mathias was an officer of the Indiana Judges Association from 1993-1999 and its president from 1997-1999. He is deeply honored to be one of only 92 Hoosiers to receive the Centennial Service Award from the Indiana State Bar Association, and he was named a Sagamore of the Wabash by two governors.
Judge Mathias is a passionate advocate for the use of technology to enhance transparency and efficiency for all Hoosiers, including the public, attorneys and the judiciary. Beginning in his first year on the court, he helped select and implement the Odyssey Case Management System that brought the administration of Indiana's court records into the 21st Century. More recently, Judge Mathias co-led the statewide implementation of e-filing with Justice Steven David.
Judge Mathias is a longtime supporter of We the People, a national civics education program sponsored by the Indiana Bar Foundation. He coaches high school We the People teams in Indiana's 5th Congressional District and helps organize competitions in the 3rd Congressional District. In 2010, he received the Indiana Bar Foundation's William G. Baker Civic Education Award for his contributions to civics education.
Judge Mathias has been married for more than 45 years and is the proud father of two sons who teach in Indiana high schools. His wife, Carlabeth, an Indiana public school teacher and counselor for 30 years, now has a private practice in which she counsels children and families and serves as a consultant to schools throughout Indiana.
Judge Mathias enjoys Apple computers and mobile devices, technology in general and photography. He also enjoys spending weekends helping to build theatrical sets for Hamilton Southeastern High School.