Judge David Cates passed away
Kosciusko County Superior Court 1 Judge David Clay Cates passed away in December 2020 from a heart attack at the age of 61 at his home in Syracuse, Indiana. After graduating from the Indiana University School of Law in 1985, he went into private practice and later became only the second attorney for the Wawasee Community School Corporation in history, a position he held for 26 years. Judge Cates was elected as judge in 2014 and again in 2020. He was also past executive secretary of the Indiana Judicial Study Commission, Judicial Nominating Commission, and Judicial Qualifications Commission.
Michael T. Hotz appointed to Marion City Court
Governor Holcomb has appointed Michael T. Hotz to the Marion City Court. Hotz served as a part-time public defender in Grant County and was a partner in a Marion law firm. He succeeds Judge Jason McVicker. Hotz earned an undergraduate degree from Wabash College and his law degree from the Indiana University McKinney School of Law.
Cynthia L. Oetjen appointed to Marion Superior Court
Governor Holcomb has appointed Cynthia L. Oetjen to the Marion County Superior Court, succeeding Judge Lisa Borges who retired on December 31, 2020. She served as deputy prosecuting attorney with the county’s Prosecutor’s Office and as the Executive Director of the Child Advocacy Center. Oetjen earned an undergraduate degree from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and a law degree from the Indiana University McKinney School of Law.
Thomas A. Massey appointed to Vanderburgh Superior Court
Governor Holcomb has appointed Thomas A. Massey to the Vanderburgh Superior Court, succeeding Judge Richard G. D’Amour, who retires in April 2021. Massey has been a long-time practitioner in an Evansville law firm since 1984, the same year he graduated from Valparaiso University Law School and was admitted to the bar.
Judicial Nominating Commission Appointment: Rudy Yakym III
Governor Holcomb has appointed Rudy Yakym III, director of growth initiatives at South Bend’s Kem Krest (a chemical and parts program management company), to the Judicial Nominating Commission. Yakym will serve until December 31, 2023.
Chief Justice Loretta Rush receives two awards
Chief Justice Rush has been awarded the Indiana University Bicentennial Medal from Law School Dean Austen Parrish for her service to IU and the Maurer School of Law. She is also the 2021 recipient of the Kennedy King Memorial Initiative award for her leadership and efforts to inspire actions to eliminate division and injustice.
Delaware County Justice and Rehabilitation Center moves locations
The Delaware County Justice and Rehabilitation Center is in the process of moving to its new location in Muncie’s former Wilson Middle School Building on Tillotson Avenue. Delaware County Commissioners purchased the building to expand the county’s jail capacity, which will now hold around 500 inmate beds. All Justice Department offices, including Delaware County’s five circuit courts, will be housed under one roof in the new building, creating a more convenient and efficient space for both employees and the public, to whom the building is currently closed. The center’s new address is 3100 S. Tillotson Avenue, Muncie, IN 47302.