Senior Judge Cynthia Emkes, left, swears in Douglas B. Cummins, right, as the new judge of Johnson County Superior Court 3 in front of his stepson Matthew Beck, center, Tuesday afternoon at the Johnson County Courthouse Annex North in Franklin. Cummins was appointed by Gov. Eric Holcomb to fill the vacancy left by Lance Hamner, who resigned from the office in February. Submitted photo
Douglas B. Cummins was officially sworn in as the new judge of Johnson County Superior Court 3 Tuesday afternoon.
Cummins, who has served as magistrate for Johnson County Superior Courts since 2015, was appointed last week to fill the vacancy left by Lance Hamner, who resigned from the office in February to run for Johnson County Prosecutor. Hamner has since been nominated for prosecutor on the Republican ticket.
As judge of Superior Court 3, Cummins will be handling criminal cases, and he’s always had a passion for criminal law. He’s estatic to take this new position, he said.
“I love criminal law and the criminal law field. I’m excited to take this position and feel honored for the governor to give me this opportunity,” Cummins said.
Before his time as magistrate, Cummins worked in private practice from 2013 to 2015, and he 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.
Cummins earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland – College Park and a law degree from Indiana University.
While Cummins was sworn in Tuesday afternoon, his first day as Superior Court 3 judge will be May 31.
“I’m ready to start,” Cummins said. “I officially start after Memorial Day and I truly can’t wait.”
With Cummin’s appointment, the magistrate position is now open. In Johnson County, the magistrate is jointly appointed by the judges of the county circuit and superior courts. Officials say they are planning to meet later this week to discuss the appointment process.
