What is your professional experience?

What is your public office experience?

current elected official running for a different office

If applicable, please list offices you have run for or held.

Currently hold Muncie City Court Judge, and ran for Delaware Circuit Court No 1 in 2022

What are the specific skills that you bring to the position for which you are running?

I bring more than two decades of legal experience and a proven record of judicial leadership to my candidacy for Delaware Circuit Court 5. I am now completing my 3rd elected term as Muncie City Court Judge. I have presided over thousands of criminal cases and have led significant improvements in court administration, including modernizing court technology, strengthening due process protections, and reducing the active caseload by more than 50 percent. Participants, from the State of Indiana to Victims and Defendants, all deserve to have their cases heard in a timely fashion and under my leadership, Muncie City Court now resolves 64% of the cases filed within 1 year.

I have spent 17 years as a trial attorney representing individuals, families, businesses, and local government in complex civil and criminal matters. I have extensive first hand experience with the challenges faced by litigants, attorneys, and the Courts. I am a trained family law mediator, I have been appointed Guardian Ad Litem for children by the Circuit Courts, I have been appointed Judge Pro-Tem to handle both felony and civil matters at the circuit level, and I have successfully argued a case before the Indiana Supreme Court for Delaware County Board of Health.

My years of experience in the legal field have given me the knowledge, temperament, and commitment to fairness necessary to serve the citizens of Delaware County with integrity, efficiency, and respect for the rule of law.

What are your top 3 priorities if you are elected?

1. Upholding the Rule of Law and Judicial Integrity. A Judge's foremost responsibility is to apply the law fairly and impartially. Maintaining public confidence in the courts requires integrity, independence, and a commitment to ensuring that every person who enters the courtroom is treated with dignity, respect, and equal justice under the law.

2. Promoting Accountability and Public Safety. Courts play a critical role in protecting the community while ensuring that constitutional rights are being upheld. Judges must hold offenders accountable under the law while making decisions that support safer communities and respect due process.

3. Ensuring an Efficient and Accessible Court System. Courts should be efficient, organized and accessible to the public. Reducing case backlogs, using technology to streamline court processes, and ensuring that litigants understand the legal process helps deliver timely justice while respecting the time and resources of everyone involved.

How do your values motivate your run for office?

My decision to run for Circuit Court No. 5 is rooted in my commitment to fairness, integrity, and service to our community. Throughout my career as an attorney and judge, I have believed that the justice system must treat every person who comes before the court with dignity, respect and equal application of the law. I have seen firsthand how important it is for courts to be both fair and efficient, ensuring that cases are handled thoughtfully and that justice is not delayed. My values, respect for the rule of law, accountability, and a deep commitment to the community that I call home, motivate me to continue serving. I am running because i believe my experience, judicial temperament, and dedication to impartial justice will allow me to serve the people of Delaware County with fairness, integrity, and a steady commitment to the law.

Key Issues

Please share with us your position on a number of issues that are key for Muncie Resists and describe what actions you would take with regard to them. We recognize that some elected positions may not have a direct role in addressing some of these issues, but if you had an opportunity to have an impact, what would you want that to be?

What have you done and/or what do you commit to doing to support the rights of

a. LGBTQ+ individuals?

I have demonstrated in my personal life that I am an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. As a judge, my responsibility is to ensure that every person who comes before the court is treated with fairness, dignity, and respect. I am committed to maintaining a courtroom where all individuals, regardless of background or circumstances, have equal access to justice and a meaningful opportunity to be heard.

b. people with disabilities?

I am committed to ensuring that the court is accessible and respectful to individuals with disabilities. This is a value that is deeply personal to me as my father was physically disabled. Growing up I saw firsthand how obstacles, sometimes unintentional, can limit opportunities and access for others. Those experience shaped my understanding of how important it is to remove barriers wherever possible . As Judge of Circuit Court No 5, I will continue to ensure that individuals with disabilities are able to fully participate in the court process an are treated with dignity, fairness and respect.

c. people experiencing poverty?

As a judge, my responsibility is to ensure that every person who comes before the court is treated fairly and with respect, regardless of their financial circumstances. Individuals experiencing poverty often face additional challenges navigating the legal system, and I will continue to ensure the court remains accessible, transparent, and respectful of those realities. Upholding the rule of law while ensuring fairness and access to justice for everyone, regardless of economic status, is an essential responsibility of the court.

d. immigrants?

As a judge, my role is to apply the law and ensure that everyone appearing in court can understand and participate in the process. In City Court, I already make sure interpreters are available so individuals who do not speak English fluently can navigate the system and understand their rights and responsibilities. Providing that access helps ensure proceedings are clear and that cases are handled appropriately regardless of a person's immigration status.

e. people who are racial or ethnic minorities/minoritized individuals?

As a judge, my responsibility is to ensure that every person who comes before the court is treated fairly and with respect, regardless of their race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation) national origin, age, disability and genetic information. I will continue to ensure the court remains accessible, transparent, and respectful of its participants and observers. Upholding the rule of law while ensuring fairness and access to justice for everyone, regardless of any of the above statuses, is an essential responsibility of the court.

What have you done and/or what do you commit to doing to support voter access? (This might include your position on vote centers, polling hours, voter IDs, signature matching, the SAVE act, etc.)

As judge of Circuit Court No. 5 I will uphold all local, state and federal laws. Any answer other than this could be seen as "pre-judging" an issue that could possible come before me in my capacity as judge and therefore would be unethical.

In recent months, federal agencies have overstepped the power of local and state governments. In what contexts would you support resistance by local officials?

As judge of Circuit Court No. 5 I will uphold all local, state and federal laws. Any answer other than this could be seen as "pre-judging" an issue that could possible come before me in my capacity as judge and therefore would be unethical.

In recent months, federal agencies have overstepped the constitutional rights of the people. How would you protect and defend our constitutional rights?

As judge of Circuit Court No. 5 I will uphold all local, state and federal laws. Any answer other than this could be seen as "pre-judging" an issue that could possible come before me in my capacity as judge and therefore would be unethical.

What have you done and/or what do you commit to doing to support healthcare access for all?

As judge of Circuit Court No. 5 I will uphold all local, state and federal laws. Any answer other than this could be seen as "pre-judging" an issue that could possible come before me in my capacity as judge and therefore would be unethical.

What have you done and/or what do you commit to doing to address the affordability of

housing costs?

As judge of Circuit Court No. 5 I will uphold all local, state and federal laws. Any answer other than this could be seen as "pre-judging" an issue that could possible come before me in my capacity as judge and therefore would be unethical.

food costs?

As judge of Circuit Court No. 5 I will uphold all local, state and federal laws. Any answer other than this could be seen as "pre-judging" an issue that could possible come before me in my capacity as judge and therefore would be unethical.

healthcare costs?

As judge of Circuit Court No. 5 I will uphold all local, state and federal laws. Any answer other than this could be seen as "pre-judging" an issue that could possible come before me in my capacity as judge and therefore would be unethical.

What have you done and/or what do you commit to doing to support discussion about science, history, and gender as necessary parts of educating children in our schools?

As judge of Circuit Court No. 5 I will uphold all local, state and federal laws. Any answer other than this could be seen as "pre-judging" an issue that could possible come before me in my capacity as judge and therefore would be unethical.

What have you done and/or what do you commit to doing to support public education?

As judge of Circuit Court No. 5 I will uphold all local, state and federal laws. Any answer other than this could be seen as "pre-judging" an issue that could possible come before me in my capacity as judge and therefore would be unethical.

What do you think should be Indiana’s priority in terms of the electrical grid and energy generation sources? What have you done and/or what do you commit to do regarding a clean energy economy?

As judge of Circuit Court No. 5 I will uphold all local, state and federal laws. Any answer other than this could be seen as "pre-judging" an issue that could possible come before me in my capacity as judge and therefore would be unethical.

What have you done and/or what do you commit to doing to make your specific area of government more transparent to your constituents?

As a judge, I promote transparency by ensuring the chronological case summary for each case is updated in a timely and accurate manner. This record allows the public and the parties involved to clearly see the actions taken by the court and the status of each case. Maintaining these records consistently helps ensure that court proceedings remain transparent while still operating within the requirements of the law.

Do you have any questions? Is there anything else you would like to share?

While criminal cases often receive the most public attention, and they are certainly important, they represent only a part of the work a court preforms. In reality, a significant portion of a court's docket, often 60% or more, involves civil matters. These include family law, personal injury, small claims, and probate cases, just to name a few. These are the types of cases most people will encounter if they ever come before the court. Because of that, it is important that the judge hearing those matters has meaningful experience in these areas of law and understands the real-life impact those decisions have on individuals and families. I have 17 years of meaningful experience in these areas and that will help me serve our community as Judge of Circuit Court No. 5.