Leanna Weissman appointed to Court of Appeals
Leanna K. Weissmann was appointed to the Court of Appeals by Governor Eric Holcomb and began her service on September 14, 2020, succeeding Judge John G. Baker after his summer retirement. Judge Weissmann graduated from Indiana University with a dual B.A. in journalism and English. She also earned her law degree from IU McKinney School of Law, graduating cum laude. Before joining the Court of Appeals, Weissmann served as an appellate law clerk for Justice Robert D. Rucker and maintained a solo law practice in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, for over 20 years. She has briefed more than 400 appeals and participated in more than 20 oral arguments before the Indiana Court of Appeals and the Indiana Supreme Court. To learn more, visit Judge Weissmann’s biography page.
Three Marion Superior Court Appointments
Magistrates Marshelle Dawkins Broadwell, Geoffrey Arlyss Gaither, and Ryan Kenneth Gardner have been appointed as judges to the Marion County Superior Court and will be sworn in on a date to be determined.
Broadwell currently hears criminal, civil, and family law matters. She earned a law degree from IU McKinney after graduating from Butler. She began her legal career as a trial and appellate attorney for the Marion County Public Defender Agency. Broadwell also serves on the Protection Order Committee and Language Access Advisory Committee.
Gaither is a senior magistrate with the Marion Superior Courts, Juvenile Division, where he has served since 1995. Gaither earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Cincinnati and his law degree from Howard University. He is a former Marion County deputy prosecutor, deputy public defender, and was also in private practice. He is a former IUPUI and Martin University adjunct professor. Learn more about Magistrate Gaither as this issue’s featured “Sidebar” Judge.
Gardner currently serves as a magistrate judge in the Marion Superior Courts, Juvenile Division. Previously, Gardner was in private practice for 14 years and also spent time as a contract attorney in the Juvenile Division of the Marion County Public Defender Agency. Gardner currently serves on the Indiana Supreme Court’s Commission on Race and Gender Fairness and its Race, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative. He also earned his undergraduate IU and law degree from IU McKinney.
Steven O. Godfrey appointed Allen Superior Court
Magistrate Steven O. Godfrey has been appointed as judge of the Allen County Superior Court Criminal Division, succeeding Judge Wendy Davis, who is running for a judge position on the Allen County Circuit Court.
Godfrey previously served, since 2018, as a magistrate on the Allen Circuit Court, where he presided over criminal, civil, family, and child support cases. Godfrey also runs three problem-solving courts, including the first and only operating a vehicle while intoxicated court in the State of Indiana. He was hired by the Allen County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in 1999. Godfrey was promoted to chief counsel of the Criminal Division and during his time there he prosecuted the most serious of felonies committed in Allen County.
Godfrey earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Ball State University and a law degree from Valparaiso University. Godfrey will be sworn in as the judge of the Superior Court in Allen County on a date to be determined.
Supreme Court Staffer Wins Isabella Award
The National College of Probate Judges awarded Indiana Supreme Court Adult Guardianship Attorney Erica Costello the Judge Isabelle Horton Grant Guardianship Award. Erica helped establish the state’s Adult Guardianship Office and continues to lead projects that enhance services for older victims of abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation; promote supported decision-making as an alternative to full guardianship; and she leads Indiana’s Volunteer Advocates for Seniors and Incapacitated Adults programs.
Judge Isabella Horton Grant—after whom the award is named—was a lawyer and judge who practiced law for a quarter century before being appointed a judge. Among many other accomplishments, Grant served as a family court judge and created the Guardianship Monitoring Program.
Drug Court Receives Grant Funds
The Grant County Drug Court will receive a $466,032 grant from the United States Department of Justice to enhance its existing court-based treatment program for felony drug and alcohol offenders, allowing the court to:
- Expand the capacity of participants and roles of Peer Support Specialists
- Hire a Recovery Coordinator to facilitate access to sober living and inpatient placements
- Provide additional data research
- Increase educational opportunities for the Drug Court team
“The need for our Drug Court currently outstrips our capacity. This grant will allow us to provide structured recovery support to more Grant County residents whose struggle[s] with a substance dependency has led them to the justice system,” said Circuit and Drug Court administrator Judge Mark Spitzer.
Spotlight Submissions
Indiana Court Times is always accepting Spotlight submissions. Submit your praise, special events, and appointments to Josh Hicks for consideration.