Former judge seeking new post

<p>Former Johnson County Circuit Court Judge Mark Loyd isn’t ready to give up his gavel just yet.</p><p>Loyd, who recently ended his tenure as Circuit Court judge after 24 years, filed as a candidate for Franklin City Court judge on Thursday, the second day of filing for the 2019 municipal election.</p><p>He will run against Kim Van Valer, who has held the position for eight years. Both are Republicans.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]<p>“That’s great. I think it’s terrific when a lot of people are interested in a position, and it brings it out to the public and gets them interested in it as well,” Van Valer said.</p><p>She’s running for a third term because she loves the work and sees the city court as an educational courtroom, especially for teenagers who may be facing their first traffic violation.</p><p>City court judges work part-time and hear traffic infractions and city ordinance violations.</p><p>Loyd started as Circuit Court judge in 1994, and served four six-year terms, during which time he tried several high-profile cases, including murder trials.</p><p>“It was not my desire to run for another six-year term,” Loyd said.</p><p>City court judges serve four-year terms.</p><p>Van Valer has also previously served as a county-wide judge, having first been elected in 1996 as Johnson Superior Court 3 judge.</p><p>More than 50 seats are on the ballot in cities and towns across Johnson County this year. So far, 19 candidates have filed.</p><p>Major party candidates have until noon on Feb. 8 to file.</p>[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="At a glance" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p>Other candidates who filed on Thursday:</p><p><strong>Greenwood</strong></p><p>Jeannine Myers, clerk</p><p><strong>Whiteland</strong></p><p>Debra Hendrickson, clerk-treasurer</p><p>Scot Ford, town council at-large</p><p><strong>Prince’s Lakes</strong></p><p>Troy Meadows, town council at-large</p>[sc:pullout-text-end]