Supreme Court Commission to Interview Applicants

July 6, 2012

News Release

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The interview schedule for the candidates applying to be the 108th justice of the Indiana Supreme Court is now available. All twenty-two applicants will be interviewed by the Commission over a two-day period. The interviews are open to the public and press.

Tuesday, July 17th

9:00 a.m. – 9:20 a.m. – Mr. Thomas M. Fisher
9:20 a.m. – 9:40 a.m. – Ms. Alicia A. Gooden
9:40 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. – Ms. Karen R. Orr

(Break)

10:15 a.m. – 10:35 a.m. – Hon. Frances M. Gull
10:35 a.m. – 10:55 a.m. – Mr. Geoffrey G. Slaughter
10:55 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. – Ms. Abigail Lawlis Kuzma

(Break)

11:30 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. – Ms. Andrielle M. Metzel
11:50 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. – Hon. Marla K. Clark

(Executive Session)

1:30 p.m. – 1:50 p.m. – Mr. John P. Young
1:50 p.m. – 2:10 p.m. – Hon. Elaine B. Brown
2:10 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Hon. Marianne L. Vorhees

(Break)

2:45 p.m. – 3:05 p.m. – Ms. Brenda A. Roper
3:05 p.m. – 3:25 p.m. – Ms. Carol Nemeth Joven
3:25 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. – Mr. Lyle R. Hardman

Wednesday, July 18th

9:00 a.m. – 9:20 a.m. – Hon. Mary G. Willis
9:20 a.m. – 9:40 a.m. – Hon. Steven R. Nation
9:40 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. – Ms. Erin Reilly Lewis

(Break)

10:15 a.m. – 10:35 a.m. – Ms. Diane L. Parsons
10:35 a.m. – 10:55 a.m. – Hon. Cale J. Bradford
10:55 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. – Ms. Julia Church Kozicki

(Break)

11:30 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. – Hon. Elizabeth F. Tavitas
11:50 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. – Hon. Loretta H. Rush

(Break)

12:25 p.m. – Lunch and Deliberations

The applications, along with writing samples, transcripts and letters of recommendation are now available for review at the Indiana Supreme Court Law Library in room 316 of the State House. Redacted versions of the applications will be made available online sometime during the week of July 9th.

Justice Frank Sullivan, Jr. is stepping down from the bench, leaving a vacancy on the state’s highest court. According to the Indiana Constitution and state statute, the seven-member Judicial Nominating Commission must recruit and select candidates to fill vacancies on Indiana appellate courts. The Commission is chaired by Chief Justice Brent E. Dickson and includes three attorneys and three citizens. After a series of public interviews, the Commission will send three candidates to Governor Mitch Daniels. The Governor will select Indiana's next justice within 60 days of receiving the list.

The public interviews will take place at the State House in room 319. After the interviews, the Commission will deliberate in executive session. The Commission will consider the applicants’ legal education, legal writings, reputation in the practice of law, physical condition, financial interests, activities in public service and any other pertinent information.

The Commission will vote on and name the semi-finalists in public after the executive session concludes on July 18th. A press release announcing the semi-finalists will be posted to courts.in.gov shortly after the public vote.

On August 8th and 9th the Commission will interview the semi-finalists. After deliberations in executive session, the Commission will vote to send the three most qualified candidates to Governor Daniels. The Governor will select Indiana's 108th justice.

The July and August interviews are open to the public. To respect the interview process and remove distractions for the candidates the Commission has the following guidelines in place:

Enter and exit the room only between interviews.
Computers for note taking will only be permitted if the keyboard is silent.
Set-up tripod and other equipment for video and still cameras between interviews.
Refrain from moving about the room during interviews.
Only ambient lighting will be permitted. Artificial lighting such as flashbulbs and frezzi lights shall not be used.
No mult box/audio equipment will be provided. Lavalier microphones will not be attached to applicant lapels. Wired or wireless microphones can be placed on the table in front of the applicant prior to the start of the interview.
Questioning of the applicant during the interview is reserved for the Commission.
At the applicant’s discretion, the public or press may interview him or her before or after the Commission interview outside the interview room.
Members of the audience are requested to refrain from all other activities that might distract from the interview process.

Source: The State of Indiana