Hon. G. Michael (Mike) Witte, Nineveh, is currently a Senior Judge. Witte, a native of Aurora, Indiana, received a bachelor’s degree in forensic studies from Indiana University in 1979 and earned his Juris Doctorate in 1982 from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. Witte is also a graduate of the Indiana Judicial College and the Graduate Program for Indiana Judges. Witte served on the trial court bench for 25 years (1985-2009) in Dearborn and Wayne Counties and was Executive Director of the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission for 11 years before retiring in 2021. Witte was the first Asian American to be elected to the bench and to serve as Executive Director of the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission. Witte has written and presented on the topics of professional responsibility, impaired driving law, and traffic court adjudication and administration at over 350 Continuing Legal Education events for various organizations, including presentations at Indiana University, the American Bar Association, the National Center for State Courts, the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, and the Indiana State Bar Association; and written articles for publications such as the Indiana Law Review, ABA Judicial Division Record, and ABA Judges Journal. From 1994-2014, Witte served as faculty for The National Judicial College, University of Nevada. Witte is currently serving on the Indiana State Bar Association Board of Governors, as a director to the American Bar Foundation Indiana fellows and was the 2022-2023 president of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Indiana. Witte has received honors and awards from the Indiana Lawyer, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Indiana, the American Bar Association Judicial Division, the Indiana University Alumni Association, and the Indiana Minority Business Magazine for his work on diversity. Witte is also a proud Eagle Scout.
Pursuant to IC-33-27-2-8(b)(4), Witte submits the following statement concerning his efforts and achievements towards the improvement of the administration of justice:
I bring a full body of work and a career in judicial service and ethical oversight to my Judicial Qualifications and Nominating Commission (JQC/JNC) 1st District candidacy. Please review my biography of service to the profession.
My candidacy purpose is twofold. First, by design, neither a trial judge nor senior judge is permitted to serve on the JQC/JNC. Regarding the JQC’s judicial discipline roll, a trial judge’s perspective on the nuances of the decision-making process and the complicated administrative role of the judge is missing when the JQC weighs a judicial conduct complaint. At this point in my career, I can forego senior judge status and can bring the valued perspective of a trial judge to the Commission’s table.
Second, regarding the JNC’s appellate nominating roll, ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity on the Indiana appellate bench does not reflect our State’s citizenry. This omission extends to the negligible number of diverse appellate applicants over the decades, as well as the JNC having only two known diverse members in the past 40+ years. As a guardian of equal justice for all, and with your vote, I seek the opportunity to fill that void.
I respectfully ask for your vote.