Indiana voters this November will decide whether to retain three Indiana Court of Appeals judges and one Indiana Tax Court judge.
The Indiana Court of Appeals is the second-highest court in the state and hears all appeals from the state's trial courts and some state agencies. It does not re-try cases, and instead clarifies questions of law that arise from the trial court's decision.
Any verdict from the Indiana Court of Appeals is final, unless reviewed or overturned by the Indiana Supreme Court.
The Indiana Court of Appeals is composed of a panel of 15 judges, nominated by the Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission and appointed by the governor.
After a judge serves two years on the bench they're put on the ballot for retention in the next general election, allowing voters to decide if they should keep their position. Judges go up for retention every ten years after that.
Indiana Court of Appeals judges hear cases in panels of three, rotated so every judge will work with all others over a two-and-a-half year period.
The court hears an average of 2,000 appeals over the course of a year, compared to the Indiana Supreme Court's average of 100 a year. As a result, for the majority of appeals, the Indiana Court of Appeals has final jurisdiction in the state.
Unlike many other states, where the court of appeals simply issues an 'affirm' or 'reverse' verdict on an appeal, Indiana's court issues a full written opinion on a case-by-case basis. Many of these can be found on the Indiana Judicial Branch website and can be cited as precedent in future cases.
Indiana Tax Court has one judge, also up for retention this election. Indiana Tax Court is an appellate-level court like the the Indiana Court of Appeals, and according to the state's website has jurisdiction "over any case that arises under the Indiana tax laws and that is an initial appeal of a final determination made by the Indiana Department of State Revenue or the Indiana Board of Tax Review."
Indiana Court of Appeals
Judge Dana J. Kenworthy
Results from Judicial Retention Poll: Yes–91%, No–9%
Kenworthy has been a judge on the Court of Appeals for almost four years. She received a law degree from the Indiana University McKinney School of Law and has practiced law in Indiana since 2001.
Judge Mary DeBoer
Results from Judicial Retention Poll: Yes–89.5%, No–10.5%
DeBoer has been a judge on the Court of Appeals for two years. She received a law degree from the Valparaiso University School of Law and has practiced law in Indiana since 1993.
Judge Paul A. Felix
Results from Judicial Retention Poll: Yes–86.5%, No–13.5%
Felix has been a judge on the Court of Appeals for three years. He received a law degree from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and has practiced law in Indiana since 1995.
Indiana Tax Court
Judge Justin L. McAdam
Results from Judicial Retention Poll: Yes–88%, No–12%
McAdam was appointed to the Indiana Tax Court by Gov. Holcomb in 2023. He earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 2011 and has practiced law in Indiana ever since.
