Indiana judicial elections, 2016
Four seats on Indiana's state-level courts were up for retention elections on November 8, 2016. All four seats on the ballot were held by judges on the Indiana Court of Appeals. All four judges filed to stand for retention.[1] If retained, an appeals court judge serves for 10 years prior to the next retention election.
All four judges were retained.
Judges who faced retention
Court of Appeals
First District
Second District
Third District
Fourth District
Election results
Edward Najam was retained in the Indiana Court of Appeals, First District election with 70.21% of the vote.
| Indiana Court of Appeals, First District, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes votes | |
 Edward Najam | 70.21% | |
| Source: Indiana Secretary of State Official Results | ||
James Kirsch was retained in the Indiana Court of Appeals, Second District election with 74.56% of the vote.
| Indiana Court of Appeals, Second District, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes votes | |
| James Kirsch | 74.56% | |
| Source: Indiana Secretary of State Official Results | ||
Terry Crone was retained in the Indiana Court of Appeals, Third District election with 72.00% of the vote.
| Indiana Court of Appeals, Third District, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes votes | |
| Terry Crone | 72.00% | |
| Source: Indiana Secretary of State Official Results | ||
Patricia A. Riley was retained in the Indiana Court of Appeals, Fourth District election with 75.31% of the vote.
| Indiana Court of Appeals, Fourth District, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes votes | |
| Patricia A. Riley | 75.31% | |
| Source: Indiana Secretary of State Official Results | ||
Selection
- See also: Judicial selection in Indiana
When a vacancy occurs on the Indiana Court of Appeals, the Commission on Judicial Qualifications provides the names of three nominees to the governor, who must then select a judge from that list.[2][3]
Newly appointed judges serve for at least two years, after which they must run in a yes-no retention election held during the next general election. If retained, judges serve 10-year terms.[2] Judges in the First, Second and Third Districts stand for retention only in their districts. The judges representing the Fourth and Fifth Districts stand for statewide retention elections.[2]
The chief judge of the Indiana Court of Appeals is selected by a peer vote, and he or she then serves for a term of three years.[2]
Qualifications
To serve on the Indiana Court of Appeals, a judge must be:
- a U.S. citizen;
- a state 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 80 (retirement at 80 is mandatory).[2][4]
The Indiana Senate raised the mandatory retirement age from 75 to 80 in January 2015, but judges who were retained under the old retirement law are still bound by it to a retirement age of 75.[4] Judges wishing to serve after reaching the retirement age may apply for senior judge status through the Indiana government website.[5]
State profile
| Demographic data for Indiana | ||
|---|---|---|
| Indiana | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 6,612,768 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 35,826 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 84.2% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 9.2% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.9% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 6.4% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 87.8% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 24.1% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $49,255 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 18.4% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Indiana. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Indiana
Indiana voted Republican in six out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, five are located in Indiana, accounting for 2.43 percent of the total pivot counties.[6]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Indiana had five Retained Pivot Counties, 2.76 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More Indiana coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Indiana
- United States congressional delegations from Indiana
- Public policy in Indiana
- Endorsers in Indiana
- Indiana fact checks
- More...
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Indiana judicial election' OR 'Indiana court election' OR 'Indiana election 2016'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ This information was provided to Ballotpedia over the phone by the office of the Indiana secretary of state on July 15, 2016.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Indiana," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ Indiana Courts, "About the Commissions," accessed August 25, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 NWI Times, "Senate adds 5 years to appellate judge retirement age," January 30, 2015
- ↑ Indiana Courts, "Application for Certification as a Senior Judge," 2012
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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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