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Press release: Judicial officer awards

For Immediate Release | October 10, 2024


Judicial officers and government and media leaders recognized at annual educational conference

Many judges, magistrates, and commissioners were recognized by Chief Justice Loretta Rush for their commitment to higher education and their long-time service. Forty-two judicial officers received an Indiana Judicial College certificate, and eleven were honored for years of service on the bench. The accolades were presented at an annual judicial conference.

Indiana Judicial College

Judicial officers must complete 120 hours of education presented by the Indiana Office of Court Services to receive this certificate. The program enhances legal knowledge and improves personal and professional development.

  • Magistrate Rosanne Ang (Marion County)
  • Judge Dale Arnett (Randolph County)
  • Judge Russell Bailey (Jasper County)
  • Magistrate Lisa Berdine (Lake County)
  • Judge Andrew Bloch (Hamilton County)
  • Magistrate Jeffrey Branstetter (Clark County)
  • Magistrate Molly Briles (Vanderburgh County)
  • Judge Robert Cline (Lawrence County)
  • Magistrate Cody Coombs (Hancock County)
  • Magistrate Jason Custer (Allen County)
  • Magistrate Alexis Vazquez Dedelow (Lake County)
  • Magistrate Eric Ditton (Elkhart County)
  • Magistrate Keith Doi (St. Joseph County)
  • Judge Michael Drenth (Porter County)
  • Judge Lisa Glickfield (Clark County)
  • Judge Steven Godfrey (Allen County)
  • Judge Blaine Goode (Jefferson County)
  • Judge Gregory Heller (Fulton County)
  • Magistrate P. Chadwick Hill (Hamilton County)
  • Judge Amy Jones (Marion County)
  • Judge Kristina Kantar (Lake County)
  • Judge Stephen Kitts (Cass County)
  • Judge Stephen Koester (Madison County)
  • Judge Karin McGrath (Kosciusko County)
  • Judge Daniel Moore (Tippecanoe County)
  • Judge Sarah Mullican (Vigo County)
  • Magistrate Shaun Olsen (Lake County)
  • Magistrate Timothy Ormes (Lake County)
  • Judge Sean Persin (Tippecanoe County)
  • Judge Steven Poore (Marion County)
  • Magistrate Lisa Reger (Clark County)
  • Judge Jonathan Rohde (Bartholomew County)
  • Commissioner Austin Shadle (Wayne County)
  • Judge R. Scott Sirk (Hancock County)
  • Judge Davin Smith (Huntington County)
  • Judge Carrie Stiller (Floyd County)
  • Magistrate Aimee Talian (Lake County)
  • Magistrate Julie Verheye (St. Joseph County)
  • Magistrate Michelle Waymire (Marion County)
  • Magistrate Beth Webber (Allen County)
  • Magistrate William Wilson (St. Joseph County)
  • Judge David Zent (Allen County)

View and download photographs of the Judicial College graduates

24 Years of Service

This award is presented to judicial officers with 24 years of service on the bench. Trial judges are commonly elected to a six-year term; therefore, a judge receiving this certificate has likely been elected more than four times.

  • Chief Judge Robert Altice (Court of Appeals of Indiana)
  • Judge David Avery (Allen County)
  • Judge Kevin Barton (Johnson County)
  • Judge Natalie Bokota (Lake County)
  • Judge Robert Freese (Hendricks County)
  • Judge Matthew Hanson (Morgan County)
  • Judge Brian Hutchison (Jay County)
  • Judge Jeryl Leach (Newton County)
  • Judge Mary Margaret Lloyd (Vanderburgh County)
  • Judge Michael Morrissey (Tippecanoe County)
  • Judge Mark Stoner (Marion County)

View and download photographs of the 24 Years of Service award recipients

The Indiana Office of Court Services is part of the Office of Judicial Administration. It serves as the state’s judicial research and continuing judicial education agency. It develops and sponsors educational programming for judges, probation officers, and other court personnel. The Office works to enhance the performance of the judicial system by continuously improving the professional competence of judicial officers.

IJA Awards

At the same conference, the Indiana Judges Association also presented several awards. Executive, legislative, judicial, and media awards were presented to honor leaders in their respective fields. The IJA thanked Governor Eric Holcomb with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

The IJA also honored recipients for their efforts to work in collaboration with the courts as champions of justice.

  • Senator Aaron Freeman
  • Representative Chris Jeter
  • Joe Heerens, Sharon Jackson, and Michael Nossett from the Office of Governor Eric Holcomb

On behalf of the IJA, the Judicial Conference Community Relations Committee presented outreach awards to judges and journalists for their efforts at communicating the work of the courts.

  • Judge Mark Stoner (Marion County)
  • Kara Kenney and Brad Forestal (WRTV)

View and download photographs of the IJA award recipients


Contact

Kathryn Dolan, Chief Public Information Officer 
317-234-4722
kathryn.dolan@courts.in.gov