Hon Christopher M Goff

High-Resolution

(One hundred tenth Justice)

Christopher M. Goff was appointed to the Indiana Supreme Court by Governor Eric J. Holcomb and took the oath of office as Indiana’s 110th justice on July 24, 2017. He was retained by voters in 2020.

Justice Goff was born in Wabash, Indiana in 1972. After graduating from high school there, he attended Ball State University, graduating summa cum laude in 1994. He went on to earn his law degree at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 1996. He is a graduate of the Indiana Judicial College and the Indiana Graduate Program for Judges. He is also currently an LLM candidate at Duke University School of Law.

After law school, Justice Goff developed a successful private practice while giving back to his community. His practice spanned a wide range of areas from criminal defense and domestic relations to personal injury and small business issues, and he was named partner at a Huntington law firm after just 18 months. He served as Huntington County Public Defender for two years. His work led to the establishment of the Huntington County Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program. Justice Goff was named Huntington County Pro Bono Attorney of the Year in 2001 and again in 2002. He also served as President of the Huntington County Police Merit Board and Vice President of the Huntington County Bar Association.

Justice Goff then left private practice to serve as Wabash Superior Court judge for twelve years. During that time, he established the Wabash County Drug Court, Wabash County Family Recovery Court, and Wabash County Reentry Court. Justice Goff served on the Board of Directors of the Indiana Judicial Conference, representing Wabash, Huntington, Wells, and Adams Counties. He also chaired the Protection Order Committee of the Indiana Judicial Conference, which provides guidance to judges, lawyers, and individuals around the state. All told during his time on the trial bench, Justice Goff disposed of over thirty thousand cases and had only one decision overturned on appeal.

Since joining the Indiana Supreme Court, Justice Goff has continued serving his fellow Hoosiers, both on and off the bench. He led a successful statewide initiative to expand Family Recovery Courts in Indiana, nearly tripling the number of programs in just two years. In May 2020, he was appointed to serve as Chair of the Indiana Justice Reinvestment Advisory Council (JRAC). He also serves or has served on the Indiana Task Force on Public Defense, as the Indiana Supreme Court Liaison to the Problem-Solving Court Committee of the Indiana Judicial Conference, as Chair of the Allen County Judicial Nominating Commission, as a member of the National Judicial Task Force to Examine State Courts’ Response to Mental Illness, as Vice Chair of the Appellate Judges Conference of the American Bar Association, as Chair of the Appellate Judges Education Institute’s 2022 Annual Summit, held in Scottsdale, Arizona, and as Secretary of the Appellate Judge’s Education Institute. He is an adjunct professor of law at the Indiana University McKinney School of Law where he teaches on problem-solving courts. He is also the author of a one-volume treatise on Indiana Criminal Law and Procedure.

Justice Goff’s efforts have been recognized by several institutions and organizations. In 2018, the Bowen Center presented him with its Centennial Award for working to establish a culture of mental health in Northeast Indiana. In that same year, Ball State University recognized him as one of its Top 50 Graduates of Distinction. In 2020, Indiana University presented him with its Bicentennial Medal in recognition of his distinguished service. In 2021, Indiana Wesleyan University presented him with an Honorary Doctorate for his work in advancing behavioral health issues. Also in 2021, he received an award from the Indiana Sheriff’s Association for his leadership and dedication during the COVID-19 emergency. In 2023 he was named a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Also in 2023, NAMI-Indiana presented him with the Gloria Goeglein award for advancing public policies to address behavioral health issues.

Justice Goff and his wife, Raquel, have been married since 1993. They have four children and five grandchildren. In his spare time, Justice Goff enjoys laughing with his family and friends. He also runs ultra-marathons.