Gov. Eric Holcomb on Wednesday praised high-energy Porter County Circuit Court Judge Mary DeBoer as he announced her as the newest member of the Indiana Court of Appeals.
It is his 7th appointment to the Indiana Court of Appeals during his time in office and 113th judicial appointment overall.
DeBoer will replace retiring Judge Patricia Riley.
“She leans in, she’s innovative, she’s hyperactive in the community,” Holcomb said while also noting her integrity and intellect.
He said during the interview process one colleague said he cannot “count the number of families that have stated Mary’s transparency, fairness and support have changed their lives for the better. And that’s the bottom line, changing lives for the better.”
As circuit court judge in Porter County, she handles a mix of civil and criminal cases, from malpractice to murder. She oversees the juvenile justice center and leads the juvenile services team. She also leads the alternative dispute resolution program and the local domestic violence committee.
“My childhood had some unusual twists and turns that brought joy and heartache. Figuring out how to direct my energy in a positive and productive way was therapeutic, and as it turns out, those efforts brought me closer and closer to this special day,” she said. “I used to think that my story wasn’t what judges were made from, but somehow deep inside, I knew I was wrong about that. My story makes me as perfect for my field as anyone, because I have lived through adversity and heartache, and I have made mistakes from which I have learned.”
DeBoer, who starts her day at 5:30 a.m., also made assembled family, friends and colleagues laugh when she said she doesn’t “have a slow speed” and “doesn’t do anything halfway.”
She has started two problem-solving courts for juveniles, one focused on truancy and another on mental health. And she hopes to focus more broadly on keeping kids in school in her new post.
Indiana Supreme Court Justice Loretta Rush said she knew DeBoer as an outstanding jurist beforehand but during the application process she learned about her respect for litigants, her fairness and her timeliness.
“You’ve got this charm about you,” she said noting that even those who lost their cases felt heard.
DeBoer studied criminal justice and political science at Western Michigan University and received her juris doctorate from Valparaiso Law School.
Immediately before being appointed to the circuit court, DeBoer was a magistrate judge in the Porter Superior Court for eight years. Prior to that she served as a deputy prosecutor for Porter and Starke counties; an associate attorney in private practice; chief probation officer and magistrate judge for Starke County; and an adjunct instructor at Brown Mackie College.
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