People in the News
Clerk’s Office
Gregory Pachmayr became the new Deputy Clerk of the Indiana Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and Tax Court in June 2014. Before joining the Supreme Court staff, Greg was the Director of the Indiana Board of Pharmacy. He has multiple degrees including a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Indiana University Mauer School of Law and a Masters of Public Affairs from Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He served in the United States Peace Corp for two years in Lesotho. Greg is married, has two dogs, and enjoys crossfit.
Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program (JLAP)
Terry L. Harrell, Executive Director, Indiana Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program, is now the Chair of CoLAP—the American Bar Association (ABA) Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs. She replaced the outgoing Chair at the conclusion of the ABA Annual Meeting in Boston in August. Her term is for one year.
The Honorable David Shaheed, Marion County Superior Court Judge, and Professor Allison Martin, Indiana University McKinney School of Law, have been appointed to the CoLAP Advisory Committee for the 2014-2015 year. Professor Martin will be appointed for her third year of service and Judge Shaheed is being appointed for his first term.
Loretta Oleksy, a Clinical Case Manager with JLAP was named its new Deputy Director. Before joining JLAP in February, 2013, Loretta worked for the Indiana Supreme Court, Division of State Court Administration. She started with the Division in 2007 and in 2012, she took on the newly created position of Domestic Violence Resource Attorney, spearheading efforts to improve the judiciary’s response to domestic violence cases.
State Court Administration
Jennifer Pinkston is a new Accounting Specialist as part of the financial team. Jennifer learned her accounting and PeopleSoft Financial skills on the job, having worked in financial positons for four previous employers, including three state agencies. For the last seven years, Jennifer worked for the Department of Agriculture. She and her husband now own a family farm together in Fountaintown, Indiana. When she is done crunching numbers, she goes home to care for the farm animals.
George and Vi Taliaferro Honored
George and Vi Taliaferro were honored by legal leaders at a reception in Columbus. Vi (a long-time Monroe County judge and current senior judge) and her husband were recognized by the the Indiana State Bar Leadership Development Academy.
Supreme Court Justice Steven David, Court of Appeals Judge John Baker, Allen County Judge Tom Felts and others in the legal profession were on hand to pay tribute to the Taliaferros for their dedicated public service. George and Vi—strong proponents of the power of education—joined in the educational seminars related to the academy. Floyd County Judge Maria Granger spoke about the importance of Veterans’ Courts and Supreme Court Justice Robert Rucker presented remarks to the young lawyers.
The April event was held the same weekend as the NFL Draft. George, the first African-American to be drafted in the NFL, was invited along with Vi to the draft in New York City. The couple politely declined the invitation, saying they would rather be with friends in Indiana.
Sharon Uhl Named CASA of the Year by the Retired Teachers
The State Office of GAL/CASA and the Indiana Retired Teachers Association (IRTA) started a partnership in 2007 to encourage more retired teachers to become advocates for abused and neglected children. In support of this partnership, each year, the IRTA recognizes an outstanding IRTA member who has served as a CASA director, staff or volunteer. This year, the IRTA Award for the outstanding contribution to CASA was given to Sharon Uhl, Director of Harrison County CASA. Children have always been center stage in Sharon’s life; Sharon is a retired teacher and principal and has been the head of Harrison County CASA for the last two years. Harrison Circuit Court Judge John Evans convinced Sharon to come out of retirement to run the CASA program. State Director of GAL/CASA Leslie Dunn, and James Pierce, the IRTA Area 8 Director who nominated her for this honor, both had high praise for her dedication, commitment to children, compassion, leadership, management skills, and ability to work with the courts.
Supreme Triathlon Effort
Team Supreme competed in the SPRINT Triathlon at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis on Saturday, August 16, 2014. Chief Justice Rush, Justice David and Justice Massa participated in the event that included a 500 yard swim, a 10 mile bike ride and a 3 mile run.
Almost 400 athletes gathered for the Saturday morning contest organized by Indianapolis event planner Tuxedo Brothers. The Justices joined together for their first triathlon, but it most likely will not be their last.
Did you know?
GAL/CASA Conference: “Hometown Heroes”
The 18th Annual GAL/CASA Conference, “Hometown Heroes,” will take place on October 11, 2014 at the Wyndham West Hotel in Indianapolis. The conference, put on by the State Office of GAL/CASA of State Court Administration, is open to GAL/CASA volunteers, staff, attorneys and juvenile judges. The keynote speaker at the conference this year will be Noah benShea, a popular poet-philosopher and best-selling author. The conference will offer break-out sessions on a variety of topics related to child welfare, including the impact of domestic violence on children, CHINS and TPR updates, educational advocacy, and many others. For more information, please contact the State Office of GAL/CASA at 1-800-542-0813 or casa.in.gov.
Commission on Improving the Status of Children in Indiana Report
The first annual report of the activities and accomplishments of the Commission on Improving the Status of Children in Indiana (July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2014) is now available. Eighteen leaders from all parts of Indiana state government met bi-monthly to exchange information and engage resources to improve the lives of Hoosier children. The report can be viewed online at: www.in.gov/children.
Allen County provides books to foster youth
Magistrate Lori Morgan of Allen County spearheaded an event on May 29th which provided hundreds of new books to foster youth through the Allen County CASA program. The project, called, “A Book of My Own,” was done in partnership with The Justice Project, which donated 300 books for local foster youth. The event was held in the Courthouse Atrium in Fort Wayne and was attended by Allen Superior Court Judge Charles Pratt, Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry, State GAL/CASA Director Leslie Dunn, State Superintendent of Schools Glenda Ritz, and Noah benShea, the Executive Director of the Justice Project. Local foster children also attended the event and were encouraged to read and to pick out age appropriate books. Each book contains a nameplate for the child to write their name. A similar event was held earlier in Indianapolis. The State Office of CASA is partnering with other local CASA programs and The Justice Project to hold additional “A Book of My Own” events.
Advisory Opinion on Judicial Elections
The Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications issued Advisory Opinion #1-14 concerning the Code of Judicial Conduct Canon 4 in regard to content of campaign materials. The opinion states the Commission’s position on some of the more common questions received during election season:
- Which words or phrases should be avoided in campaign slogans?
- Are judges permitted to use photos of the courtroom in campaign materials?
- Are judges permitted to wear their black robes for campaign photos or events?
The opinion is available on the Indiana Courts website at: courts.in.gov/jud-qual.