Court family mourns loss
The Honorable Amy C. Conner Cornell, Judge of the Wabash Superior Court, died February 19 after a difficult battle with cancer. She was 42 years old.
Judge Cornell was a graduate of Purdue University, Indiana University Maurer School of Law, and Princeton Theological Seminary.
Following law school, she served as a clerk to Justice Brent Dickson, an administrative law judge for the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, and also maintained a private practice.
In October 2017 Governor Eric Holcomb appointed her as Judge of Wabash Superior Court, replacing Christopher Goff who had been appointed to the Indiana Supreme Court. Judge Cornell is survived by her husband, Jonathan, and their children Annie, Christian, and Conner.
First all-female Marion Superior Court Executive Committee elected
On January 15, the Marion Superior Court elected its new Executive Committee for the 2019-2020 term. Judge Heather Welch was elected to serve as the Presiding Judge. In addition, Judges Alicia Gooden, Amy Jones, and Christina Klineman will serve as Associate Presiding Judges. The election was historic – with four women voted in for the first time ever. The Executive Committee is responsible for the operation and conduct of the Marion Superior Court.
GAL/CASA annual conference
In September 2018, the 22nd annual GAL/CASA conference was held in Fort Wayne. Over 600 GAL/CASA program staff and volunteers attended the event. Awards for Director and Volunteer of the Year were presented at the conference. Volunteer of the Year Bob Blanton has been an Allen County CASA for over 10 years. Blanton’s nomination was supported by Allen County Judge Charles Pratt and Magistrate Lori Morgan.
Director of the Year Annette Craycraft has served with East Central Indiana CASA for 13 years. Craycraft’s efforts over the past year helped the program double the number of children served in child abuse and neglect cases. She also serves on the Indiana GAL/CASA Advisory Commission and has been the Chair of the Legislative Committee for over ten years.
Judicial appointment
Aleksandra Dimitrijevic was appointed to the Lake County Superior Court, succeeding Judge Jesse Villalpando, who retired at the end of 2018. She has served in a variety of positions at the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office for more than 15 years, including currently as a violent-crimes prosecuting attorney. Dimitrijevic earned her Bachelor’s degree from Boston University and her law degree from Indiana University McKinney School of Law.
New judicial officers
Many Indiana counties elected new judges in the 2018 General Election. The following newly-elected judges took office in January 2019:
- Blackford County
Brian Bade - Hamilton County
Michael Casati - St. Joseph County
Jason Cichowicz - Monroe County
Darcie Fawcett - Marion County
Charnette Garner - Posey County
Craig Goedde - Marion County
Jennifer Harrison - Monroe County
Christine Haseman - Fulton County
Gregory Heller - Madison County
Andrew Hopper - Marion County
Mark Jones - Cass County
Stephen Kitts - Warrick County
Amy Miskimen - Jefferson County
Donald Mote - Howard County
Hans Pate - Clay County
Robert Pell - Marion County
Cheryl Rivera - Johnson County
Andrew Roesener - Boone County
Lori Schein - Huntington County
Davin Smith - Monroe County
Catherine Stafford - White County
Jason Thompson - Pulaski County
Mary Welker - Brown County
Mary Wertz