What is your professional experience?

Current Juvenile Magistrate; 10 years Master Commissioner in the Delaware County Circuit Courts; 10 years DCS Attorney; former Public Defender; Office of the General Counsel at the University of Michigan; private practice in Illinois and Indiana

What is your public office experience?

have never run for office before

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

N/A

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

A decade of judicial experience presiding over court cases; 10 additional years in public service as the attorney for the Indiana Department of Child Services. I have a track record as an impartial, thoughtful and independent judicial officer.

What are your top 3 priorities if you are elected?

1 - uphold and apply the law fairly and impartially; 2 - perform all of my judicial duties without bias or prejudice; 3 - ensure that all parties are treated with dignity and respect and are allowed to be heard according to the law.

How do your values motivate your run for office?

I strongly believe in treating everyone who appears before me with dignity and respect.

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?

This answer applies to the questions below. Pusuant to the Indiana Judicial Code of Conduct Rule 2.10 (A) A judge shall not make any public statement that might reasonably be expected to affect the outcome or impair the fairness of a matter pending* or impending* in any court, or make any nonpublic statement that might substantially interfere with a fair trial or hearing.

(B) A judge shall not, in connection with cases, controversies, or issues that are likely to come before the court, make pledges, promises, or commitments that are inconsistent with the impartial* performance of the adjudicative duties of judicial office.

Additionally, the Indiana Judicial Code of Conduct Rule 4.1 states, in part, Rule 4.1. Political and Campaign Activities of Judges and Judicial Candidates in General.

(A) . . . a judge or a judicial candidate* shall not:

(11) knowingly,* or with reckless disregard for the truth, make any false or misleading statement;

(12) make any statement that would reasonably be expected to affect the outcome or impair the fairness of a matter pending* or impending* in any court; or

(13) in connection with cases, controversies, or issues that are likely to come before the court, make pledges, promises, or commitments that are inconsistent with the impartial* performance of the adjudicative duties of judicial office."

Being a judge is not a policy position. My view is that my personal opinion as to whether a certain law appropriate or good policy is immaterial. For the last 10 years my approach has bee quite straight forward -- I listen and take notice of the facts and then I apply the law to facts. My role is to fairly and impartially apply the law to the facts without bias.

b. people with disabilities?

c. people experiencing poverty?

d. immigrants?

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

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.)

This answer should be applied to the questions below. Ind. Code of Judicial Conduct 3.1 states, ". . . when engaging in extrajudicial activities, a judge shall not:

(A) participate in activities that will interfere with the proper performance of the judge’s judicial duties;

(B) participate in activities that will lead to frequent disqualification of the judge;

(C) participate in activities that would appear to a reasonable person to undermine the judge’s independence,* integrity,* or impartiality;* . . ."

Additionally Ind. Code of Judicial Conduct 4.1 states, "a judge or a judicial candidate* shall not:

(1) act as a leader in or hold an office in a political organization;*

(2) make speeches on behalf of a political organization;

(3) publicly endorse or oppose a candidate for any public office;

(4) solicit funds for, pay an assessment to, or make a contribution* to a political organization or a candidate for public office;

(5) attend or purchase tickets for dinners or other events sponsored by a political organization or a candidate for public office;

(6) publicly identify himself or herself as a member or candidate of a political organization;

(7) seek, accept, or use endorsements from a political organization;

(8) personally solicit* or accept campaign contributions other than through a campaign committee authorized by Rule 4.4;

(9) use or permit the use of campaign contributions for the private benefit of the judge, the candidate, or others;

(10) use court staff, facilities, or other court resources in a campaign for judicial office or for any political purpose;

(11) knowingly,* or with reckless disregard for the truth, make any false or misleading statement;

(12) make any statement that would reasonably be expected to affect the outcome or impair the fairness of a matter pending* or impending* in any court; or

(13) in connection with cases, controversies, or issues that are likely to come before the court, make pledges, promises, or commitments that are inconsistent with the impartial* performance of the adjudicative duties of judicial office. Due to the constraints of holding a judicial position, I have refrained from taking policy positions that could resonably be construed as affecting the outcome or impair the fairness of a matter pending or impending in any court.

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

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

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

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

housing costs?

food costs?

healthcare costs?

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?

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

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?

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

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

Running for Judge is unique. I do not make policy; I follow the law. I do my best to adhere to the Indiana Code of Judicial Conduct, which governs what a judicial officer can and cannot do or say. My commitment to the residents of Delaware County is that I will continue to fairly and impartially apply Indiana law to the facts presented to me.