Three Finalists Chosen for Indiana High Court’s Upcoming Vacancy

A state commission has selected three finalists Governor Eric Holcomb will choose from to fill a vacancy on the Indiana Supreme Court when Justice Steven David retires later this year.

The Judicial Nominating Commission voted Tuesday to select as its three finalists Grant Superior Court Judge Dana Kenworthy, state appeals court judge Derek Molter and Justin Forkner, who is the high court’s chief administrative officer.

Once the three nominees’ names are sent to Holcomb, the Republican will have 60 days to choose one of them as David’s successor on the five-justice court.

They were chosen as finalists after commission members interviewed 19 candidates and chose 10 finalists in early March. Those 10 were invited to appear Tuesday for a second round of interviews.

The high court said Tuesday that in selecting the three finalists the commission considered the applicants’ “legal education, writings, reputation in the practice of law, and other pertinent information.”

Chief Justice Loretta Rush announced in November that David would retire from the court in the fall of 2022 after 12 years on the court.

David was appointed to the court by then-Gov. Mitch Daniels in 2010 upon the retirement of Justice Ted Boehm and he is the court’s longest-serving current justice.