A Judge of the Circuit Court is responsible for issuing decisions in all types of cases impartiallyand according to the law and legal precedent of the circuit in which they serve. Circuit courts arevested with unlimited trial jurisdiction in all cases, except where exclusive or concurrentjurisdiction is conferred upon other courts. Circuit courts also have appellate jurisdiction overappeals from city and town courts.
Educational background
Bloomington High School North, 1989; Indiana University, B.A. English, Medieval Certificate, 1993; University of Minnesota Law School, 1997
Occupation(s)
Judge
I have been honored to serve as one of the Monroe County Judges since first taking office in 2019. Before taking office, I worked for the Minnesota Justice Foundation, Indiana Legal Services, and founded my own law firm. I practiced family law, including Collaborative Law, serving as a Guardian ad Litem, CASA Attorney volunteer, and Registered Domestic Relations Mediator. I am certified as a Family Law Specialist by the Family Law Certification Board of Indiana.
In my first term, I helped create the Eviction Prevention Project, a collaboration of local non-profits that provide free legal advice and representation to people facing eviction. I am running for re-election to continue my work in making court a fair experience for all.
Many of the litigants in my courtroom are self-represented. My goal as a judge is to balance providing information about how court works with maintaining my neutrality as a judge. For example, I've worked to update our small claims forms to be in English rather than 'legalese.' I've created handouts on preparing for court that my court sends to all self-represented litigants. I'm also working to establish a Self Help Legal Center that would provide walk-in access to legal advice for low-income people.
I worked with the Indiana Bar Foundation to secure a self-help kiosk where folks can access the bank of do-it-yourself legal forms and a free printer (located outside Courtroom 212 in the Justice Building.
Court should be equally open to all people. Historically, that has not been the case. I work hard to be conscious of internal bias, regularly attend Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion trainings, and try to take the time in every case, but especially when folks are not represented by attorneys, to explain what we are there for in court and how it will work. I frequently appoint Guardians ad Litem for children and vulnerable adults to ensure that their wishes are heard.
I am grateful that we have one of the most diverse benches of any county in Indiana and am proud to be a woman judge.
I regularly hear Order of Protection cases, with allegations of intimate partner violence, stalking, sex offenses, and/or harassment. Our courts' policy is to have a bailiff in the courtroom during all such hearings. After hearings where there is a safety concern (not limited to Order of Protection cases), I have the petitioner choose whether to leave first or last, and have a staggered exit from the building for the other party.
With our aging court building, we do have challenges. For example, when the dedicated jail elevator is broken, inmates are sometimes taken into public areas of the building. It is critical that a new jail and new court building be constructed with modern safety features and a constitutional level of care.
