Five Indiana appellate judges are up for retention in the fall election.
Three Indiana Supreme Court justices and two Court of Appeals judges will be on the ballot for retention on Election Day, Nov. 5. Voters will decide “yes” or “no” on whether to retain each of the judges.
For the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Loretta H. Rush and justices Mark S. Massa and Derek R. Molter are up. Rush was appointed to the court in 2012 and was last retained in 2014; she was named the court’s first female chief justice in 2014, being reappointed as such in 2019 and earlier this year. Massa was appointed in 2012 and was last retained in 2014, while Molter was appointed in 2022 and is up for retention for the first time.
The two Court of Appeals judges up are Judge Peter R. Foley of the First District and Judge Rudolph R. Pyle III of the Fourth District. Foley was appointed in 2022, while Pyle was appointed in 2012.
To help voters make informed decisions about the judges on the ballot, the Supreme Court’s Office of Judicial Administration has created a website for voters to learn more about the judges at courts.in.gov/retention. The website includes biographical information, video of oral arguments and a link to each judge’s written opinions, court officials said in a news release.
The Indiana State Bar Association will also release results from a survey of its members asking lawyers whether the appellate judges should be retained. These results will be available on the retention website as well, the news release says.
Indiana has used a merit selection process to choose and retain its appellate judges for the past 50 years. Once appointed, a judge must stand for retention at the first statewide general election after the judge has served for two full years. If retained, the judge is on the retention ballot every 10 years. The retention system is designed to allow appellate judges to decide cases fairly and impartially, free from campaign finance considerations, and without influence by partisan politics, court officials say.
