MARION CO. – The Marion County Judicial Selection Committee is beginning the process of selecting two new superior court judges. Judge John Hanley (Court 11, Civil Division) and Judge Mark Stoner (Court 32, Major Felony Division) will retire effective December 31, 2024, creating two vacancies on the Marion Superior Court.
Justice Derek Molter, Committee Chairperson, and Court of Appeals Chief Judge Robert Altice, Jr., Vice Chairperson, announced applications for the vacancy are available online and must be submitted through the Indiana Courts Portal by Monday, September 9 at Noon (Eastern). Only one application is required to be considered for both vacancies.
Eligibility requirements and other information about service on the Marion Superior Court can be found in IC 33-33-49-6 and IC 33-33-49-13.4. Generally, an applicant must be a resident of Marion County (at the time of the application and throughout the term of office) and be an attorney admitted to the bar of Indiana for at least five years. Additionally, state law prevents more than 52% of the judges in Marion Superior Court from being members of the same political party. Judges Hanley and Stoner are Democrats.
Following local court rules, the Marion Superior Court Executive Committee has offered any sitting judge the opportunity to transfer courts. If a judicial officer transfers to Court 11 or Court 32, the vacancies will be created in another court; more than one transfer across divisions is possible. If transfers occur and the Executive Committee approves, the available positions will be posted online. The Executive Committee will assign the new judges to their divisions after the Governor makes the appointments.
The Marion County Judicial Selection Committee will meet on Monday, October 28, and possibly Tuesday, October 29, to interview applicants for the vacancies. Details on the public interviews will be posted online. After the conclusion of interviews and an executive session to consider applicants, the Committee will publicly vote to select two panels of three nominees to send to Governor Eric Holcomb for appointment. According to Indiana law, the Committee must submit to the Governor “the three most qualified candidates” for appointment when a vacancy arises. Details on the Committee, including membership, are online.
