Daniels' office to consider six for county bench

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April 4, 2009

By Shawn McGrath, Herald Bulletin Staff Writer The Herald Bulletin Sat Apr 04, 2009, 11:48 PM EDT

ANDERSON — Fifteen attorneys applied to become the new judge of Madison Superior Court 4, but only six have been set for interviews. From that pool, Gov. Mitch Daniels will make his selection to replace Judge David W. Hopper.

Officials with the governor’s office said the final six would be interviewed this week, and a decision is expected to quickly follow.

The Superior Court 4 bench was left vacant with the sudden death of Hopper, 60, on Feb. 25 of a heart attack. The Indiana Supreme Court chose attorney Geoffrey Yelton, 53, to serve as the court’s temporary judge. Yelton did not apply for the vacancy. The application deadline was March 20.

Being interview for the opening are:

— Gregory K. Scott, 60, Republican. Scott served as a justice on the Colorado Supreme Court from 1993 to 2000. He was the executive director of the Indiana Civil Rights Commission from 2005 to 2008. Scott is currently assistant to the president for diversity for Ivy Tech Community College.

— Rudolph R. Pyle III, 39, declined to provide his political affiliation. Pyle is currently a deputy prosecutor in Superior Court 1. A former state police trooper, he has clerked for the Indiana Court of Appeals. He has a master's degree in public policy.

— David A Happe, 38, Republican. Happe served as Anderson attorney under former Mayor Kevin Smith from January 2004 to January 2007. A former prosecutor and chief administrative public defender, he has worked in private practice since early 2007. He ran an unsuccessful campaign against Judge Thomas Clem in 2002 for Superior Court 5.

— William C. Davisson, 47, Republican. Davisson served as a Madison County Deputy Prosecutor from 1995 to 1996. He has worked in private practice since 1990. He unsuccessfully ran in November to unseat Superior Court 5 Judge Thomas Clem. He has also served as a judge pro tem.

— Rodney J. Cummings, 53, Republican. Cummings, Madison County’s prosecutor for 12 years, is currently director of trial advocacy for the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. He is a former Anderson police officer, and prosecutes some homicide cases in Indianapolis. Cummings lost a bid to become judge of Madison Superior Court 2.

— John M. Blevins, declined to provide age, Republican. Blevins served three terms in the Indiana House of Representatives, 1972 through 1976. He lost a primary race against Thomas McMahan to be Anderson’s mayor in 1979. He lost another mayoral primary in 2003, against Smith. He currently works in private practice.

The remaining judicial candidates were notified by mail that they would not be interviewed. Several of the applicants declined to provide their age to The Herald Bulletin. The remaining applicants were:

— Zaki Ali, who works in private practice as a public defender in Delaware County.

— Thomas D. Chaille, 38, a former Anderson city attorney. He worked for nearly a decade in the Madison County Prosecutor’s Office. He is currently a prosecutor in Allen County.

— Stephen D. Clase, 63, who currently serves as a magistrate in Madison County. He was appointed the first judge of Madison Superior Court 3 with its creation in 1976. He worked in private practice until 2005, and is a former chief deputy prosecutor.

— Alan R. Miller, who was Edgewood Town Court judge from 1995 to 2003. He was a judge pro tem in the court from 1991 to 1995. He has been in private practice since 1995. He did not provide his age.

— Bryce D. Owens, 49, who has worked in private practice since 1986, a year after graduating Indiana University School of Law.

— Larry W. Robbins, judge of Madison County Court 2 (now Superior Court 5) from 1991 to 1996. A former prosecutor, he is currently in private practice.

— Janine L. Sutton (formerly Hooley), 49, a Madison County deputy prosecutor since 2007. Sutton has also worked as a special education teacher. She was the lone female applicant.

— Richard B. Walker, who has worked for several years as a public defender in Madison County. He also has a private practice.

— James W. Wilson, 59, who has worked in private practice in Elwood since 1982.

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Daniels' office to consider six for county bench

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