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Indiana intermediate appellate court elections, 2026
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The terms of five Indiana intermediate appellate court judges will expire on December 31, 2026. The five seats are up for retention election on November 3, 2026.
Judges with expiring terms
- This is a list of the judges who must stand for retention election in 2026 in order to remain on the bench. Judges may choose not to stand for election. The list is subject to change if judges retire or are appointed.
Indiana Court of Appeals
■ Dana J. Kenworthy
■ Stephen Scheele
■ Mary DeBoer
■ Paul A. Felix
Indiana Tax Court
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Indiana
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
Selection
The fifteen judges on the Indiana Court of Appeals are selected through the assisted appointment method. The Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission is responsible for providing the names of three nominees to the governor, who must then select a judge from that list.[1][2] The commission is made up of six voting members from the three geographic districts covered by the Indiana Court of Appeals. Members include three attorneys, elected by attorneys in their respective geographic districts, and three non-attorneys, appointed by the governor. The chief justice or his or her designee serves as an ex officio member of the commission.[2]
Judges serve at least two years following their initial appointment. They must stand for retention at the first statewide general election to remain in office. If retained, justices serve a ten-year term and must stand for retention every ten years after that point to remain in office.[3]
The court of appeals is divided into five districts, each represented by three judges. The first three districts make up the southern, middle, and northern thirds of the state, respectively. The fourth and fifth districts include all counties and consist of three judges, one from each of the first three districts.[4]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:
- a U.S. citizen;
- an Indiana resident;
- admitted to practice law in the state for at least 10 years or have served as a trial court judge for at least five years; and
- under the age of 75 (retirement at 75 is mandatory).[1]
Additionally, a judge must reside in the same appellate district as the outgoing judge.[4] Learn more about Indiana's appellate district system here.
Chief judge
The chief judge is selected by his or her peers on the Indiana Court of Appeals and serves a three-year term. Three judges in each district will also choose a presiding judge for the district who serves a one-year term.[5]
Vacancies
If a midterm vacancy occurs on the court, the position is filled as it normally would be had the vacancy occurred at the end of a judge's term. The Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission provides the names of three nominees to the governor, who must then select a judge from that list.[1][2] The new appointee serves at least two years following his or her initial appointment and must stand for retention at the first statewide general election to remain in office.[3]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 National Center for State Courts, "Method of Judicial Selection: Indiana," accessed Aug. 23, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 State of Indiana, "Judicial Nominating Commission Fact Sheet," accessed Aug. 23, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 State of Indiana, "Indiana's Judicial Retention System," accessed Aug. 23, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 State of Indiana, "Court of Appeals Districts," accessed Aug. 23, 2021
- ↑ State of Indiana, "Judges of the Court of Appeals," accessed Aug. 23, 2021
Federal courts:
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Indiana, Southern District of Indiana • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Indiana, Southern District of Indiana
State courts:
Indiana Supreme Court • Indiana Court of Appeals • Indiana Tax Court • Indiana Superior Courts • Indiana Circuit Courts • Indiana City Courts • Indiana County Courts • Indiana Municipal Courts • Indiana Small Claims Courts • St. Joseph County Probate Court • Indiana Town Courts
State resources:
Courts in Indiana • Indiana judicial elections • Judicial selection in Indiana
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