Cummins
Gov. Eric Holcomb appointed Douglas B. Cummins as the next judge of Johnson County Superior Court 3 Thursday.
Cummins is filling the vacancy left by Lance Hamner, who resigned from the office in February to run for Johnson County Prosecutor. Hamner has since been chosen as the Republican nominee for prosecutor.
Cummins is currently the Magistrate for Johnson County Superior Courts and has served in the role since 2015, according to a press release on the appointment.
Before his time as magistrate, Cummins worked in private practice from 2013-2015, and was a deputy prosecutor in Johnson County for 12 years. Prior to becoming a lawyer, he served in the United States Air Force for 10 years. He is also currently co-owner of Rock of Ages Animal Rescue and Sanctuary, an animal rescue and rehoming organization, according to the release.
Cummins earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland – College Park and a law degree from Indiana University, the announcement says.
A date for the swearing in ceremony has not yet been set, but county court staff are excited to see Cummins move into the new position, said Brandi Foster Kirkendall, court administrator.
Cummins plans to work more with problem solving courts once he is officially sworn in. He does not yet know what types of cases he’ll cover, but regardless his court will be run fairly, he said.
“Everyone that knows me knows that I’ve worked hard to make sure my court is run fairly and efficiently,” Cummins said.
Cummins’ appointment opens up the magistrate position. In Johnson County, the magistrate is jointly appointed by the judges of the county circuit and superior courts.
County judges are planning to meet next week to discuss filling the magistrate position, Kirkendall said.
