Thirty-Four Attorneys Apply For Supreme Court Vacancy

A long list of well-qualified candidates have applied for the Supreme Court vacancy that will be created when Justice Ted Boehm steps down later this year. The list of thirty-four candidates, a record since Indiana's has used a merit selection system for choosing appellate court judges, includes a number of judges and prominent attorneys in private practice. A little over half of the candidates are women, which is unusual, but many observers believe a female candidate is likely to be chosen because the high court current has no female justices. One politician, State Sen. Brent Steele, has applied.

One strong supporter of Judge Cynthia Ayers tells me he has it on direct authority from the governor's office that Gov. Daniels wishes to pick her to bolster his image of supporting diversity as he prepares for a possible presidential bid in 2012. Ayers, a long-time serving Marion Superior Court judge is the only Republican African-American judge in the state of Indiana. According to the source, Ayers had originally planned to apply for one of the openings on the Court of Appeals earlier in Daniels administration, but she was urged by his staff to hold off until the first Supreme Court vacancy occurred. One of those successful Court of Appeals candidates earlier chosen by Gov. Daniels, Judge Elaine Brown, has applied for the vacancy. My source tells me that Daniels will not elevate either of his Court of Appeals appointees to the high court. I note that Judge Cale Bradford did not apply for the job. At least one of the candidates, Curtis Shirley, has a pending disciplinary complaint against him. The case is pending before former Marion Circuit Court Judge Ted Sosin as 49 S 00 0712 DI 00581.

There is actually a judicial nominating commission chaired by Chief Justice Randall Shepard that will recommend three candidates to the governor for consideration; however, that list typically includes the favored choice of the governor. The list will be pared down next week to a list of semi-finalists who will be scheduled for interviews throughout the month of July. The three finalists are expected to be named by the end of the month. Here is the list of candidates in alphabetical order:

1. Hon. Cynthia J. Ayers, Marion Superior Court, Civil Division 4
2. Hon. Mary Beth Bonaventura, Lake Superior Court, Juvenile Division
3. Ms. Ellen E. Boshkoff, Indianapolis
4. Hon. Elaine B. Brown, Indiana Court of Appeals
5. Mr. Sean M. Clapp, Fishers
6. Hon. Vicki L. Carmichael, Clark Superior Court 1
7. Hon. Jane Spencer Craney, Morgan Superior Court 3
8. Hon. Steven H. David, Boone Circuit Court
9. Ms. Kiply S. Drew, Bloomington
10. Hon. Cynthia S. Emkes, Johnson Superior Court 2
11. Mr. Thomas M. Fisher, Indianapolis
12. Ms. Monica Foster, Indianapolis
13. Hon. Frances C. Gull, Allen Superior Court
14. Mr. Lyle R. Hardman, Granger
15. Ms. Christine Talley Haseman, Bloomington
16. Hon. Susan Orr Henderson, Fountain Circuit Court
17. Hon. William J. Hughes, Hamilton Superior Court 3
18. Ms. Abigail Lawlis Kuzma, Indianapolis
19. Ms. Christine M. Marcuccilli, Fort Wayne
20. Hon. William C. Menges, Jr., Howard Superior Court 1
21. Hon. Robyn L. Moberly, Marion Superior Court, Civil Division 5
22. Mr. Karl L. Mulvaney, Indianapolis
23. Hon. Steven R. Nation, Hamilton Superior Court 1
24. Ms. Clare Kraegel Nuechterlein, South Bend
25. Mr. Bryce D. Owens, Pendleton
26. Mr. Curtis E. Shirley, Indianapolis
27. Mr. Geoffrey G. Slaughter, Indianapolis
28. Hon. Robert A. Spahr, Miami Circuit Court
29. Sen. Brent E. Steele, Bedford
30. Ms. Yasmin L. Stump, Zionsville
31. Mr. Donald J. Tribbett, Logansport
32. Hon. Allen N. Wheat, Steuben Circuit Court
33. Hon. Mary G. Willis, Henry Circuit Court
34. Ms. Judy L. Woods, Indianapolis