Indiana Chief Justice Brent Dickson Is Stepping Down

Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Brent Dickson will step down from his position leading the Court after only two years in the job.  He will remain on the bench as an associate justice.

Dickson has been an Indiana Supreme Court Justice since 1986. He replaced Randall Shepard as Chief Justice in May of 2012. 

The former Lafayette attorney was scheduled for mandatory retirement at age 75 in 2016, and Dickson says knowing his tenure was limited led him to Wednesday’s announcement.  He says stepping down now paves the way for a proper transition to a new Court leader. 

The Judicial Nominating Commission, on which Dickson serves, will choose the next Chief Justice from among Justices Robert Rucker, Stephen David, Mark Massa and Loretta Rush. 

Dickson says he plans to step down from his top post sometime before September 1.  In a statement, Gov. Mike Pence praised Dickson as a man of great faith and applauded his long-standing commitment to public service.