I have been a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for my entire legal career.  I have handled all types of criminal cases, ranging from misdemeanors to murders.  I began my legal career as a part-time Deputy Prosecutor in Madison County for Elwood City Court in May, 2013.   In July, 2013, I became a full-time Deputy Prosecutor with the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office, where I remain employed to date.

From June, 2013 to March, 2018, I was a part time associate of John Sees at Sees Legal Group.  I met with bankruptcy clients on an as-needed basis during evening hours and consulted with them regarding their bankruptcy needs.  If a bankruptcy filing was appropriate, I would prepare the bankruptcy petition for filing.  Once complete, Mr. Sees would review the petitions and file them in federal court. As a Deputy Prosecutor, I have completed over 50 felony trials, including seven murder trials—six of which, I was the lead prosecutor.  One especially difficult case was a triple homicide case involving the murder of a father and his two children, who were executed in their home.  One defendant was tried to the judge and the other was tried to a jury, with combined sentences of 275 years. 

 While employed with Madison County, and while covering Marion City and Gas City Courts, I have completed hundreds of bench trials.

In addition to jury trial experience, I have also handled a variety of hearings, including Suppression, Post-conviction Relief, Probation Violation, Bond, Sentencing, Franks, Let Bail, and other hearings.

Two of my trials have come before the Indiana Supreme Court on oral Argument: 

State of Indiana v. Aaron Fansler  27C01-1506-F3-15
Fansler v. State, 100 N.E.3d 250 (Ind. 2018)

This case involved the unique issue of whether a hotel room qualified as a “place of detention” under Ind. R. Evid. 617, requiring any custodial statements be electronically recorded.  The conviction was upheld by the Indiana Supreme Court.

State of Indiana v. Will Thomas  27D01-1404-FA-5
Thomas v. State, 81 N.E.3d 621 (Ind. 2017)

This case involved a complicated issue of whether there was probable cause to detain the Defendant, a passenger of a vehicle, in order to secure and later execute a search warrant of his person.  After being reversed by the Indiana Court of Appeals, the conviction was upheld by the Indiana Supreme Court.

** It should be noted that I did not argue the cases in front of the Supreme Court, but I was allowed to sit at the table with the Deputy Attorneys General — a fantastic learning experience!!

I believe I am an excellent candidate to be the successor to Judge Jeffrey Todd in Grant Superior Court 1.  I have an extensive background in criminal law, and I understand how the courtroom works in both jury and bench trial settings.  Furthermore, I have always been a firm, but fair steward of the law.

Since graduating from Ball State University in 1998, I have worked as a public employee. I have worked as a jail officer, a dispatcher, a Deputy Sheriff, and a Deputy Prosecutor.  I have always aspired to better myself personally and professionally and to do my part to make the State of Indiana a safer place to live, as evidenced by my willingness to go above and beyond what is required of my profession. 

My humble beginnings in the public sector were that of a jail officer and dispatcher for the Blackford County Sheriff’s Office in 1999.  In March of 2000, I began serving as a Special Police Officer for the Montpelier Police Department, while transferring to the Howard County Sheriff’s Office as a full-time dispatcher. 

After moving to Grant County in April, 2000, I began searching for a permanent career in law enforcement in Grant County.  In December of 2000, I was appointed as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff in Grant County.  I was hired as a full-time Deputy Sheriff in February, 2001.  During the first six years, I was assigned to the patrol division, where I received numerous certifications and awards, while engaging in various specialties, including: Hostage Negotiator, Emergency Response Team Member, Fatal Crash Team Member, Drug Recognition Expert, Field Training Officer, Forensic Cellular Phone Examiner, and received the Governor’s Traffic Safety Champion Award and a Lifesaving Award.  During this time, I also worked part time at Indiana Wesleyan University as a patrol officer and continued there until I started law school.

In 2006, I was selected to move to the Detectives Division, where I oversaw the Sex or Violent Offender Registry for Grant County.  I was instrumental in acquiring the Offender Watch Software for use in Grant County, by bringing together a partnership between the Grant County Sheriff’s Department, the Marion Police Department, and the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office.  At the time, only one other county in Indiana used the software – Allen County.  To help fund the software, I assisted local attorneys in enacting a local ordinance to allow for the collection of annual sex offender registration fees in accordance with Indiana Code § 36-2-13-5.6.  The Offender Watch Software is now used statewide as the central repository for the Indiana Sex or Violent Offender Registry. 

As a leader in the area of sex offender registrations, I attended several legislative sessions in an effort to revise and clarify the current sex offender laws.  I also assisted other state sex offender registry leaders in coordinating and presenting at statewide sex offender trainings.

In the early spring of 2008, I decided to attend law school, with the goal of working as a Deputy Prosecutor for Grant County.  I graduated Cum Laude in January, 2012 from Thomas M. Cooley Law School, while still working full-time at the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.

While waiting for a full-time position in Grant County to open, I continued to work for the Grant County Sheriff’s Office and took a part-time position in Madison County as a Deputy Prosecutor for Elwood City Court, where I handled misdemeanor traffic cases in a high-volume court under Judge Kyle Noone.

In July, 2013, I secured a full-time position at the Grant County Prosecutor’s office, ending my time at the Grant County Sheriff’s Office and Madison County Prosecutor’s Office.  During my first year, I was assigned to Grant Superior Court 3, where I handled misdemeanors and Level 6 felonies.  In that first year, I prosecuted eight jury trials.

In September of 2014, I was promoted to the J.E.A.N. Team Drug Task Force Deputy Prosecutor, where I remained for over four years.  In this capacity, I prosecuted all drug dealing cases in Grant Superior Court 1, Grant Superior Court 2, and Grant Circuit Court.  During this time, I was an active participant in the Opioid Task Force, hosted by Ann Vermillion, who later went on to become an Indiana State Representative.  I had the opportunity to participate in and prosecute a state-level wiretap case involving multiple phone lines, which resulted in the arrest and successful prosecution of over thirty defendants.

In January of 2019, I was assigned to Grant Superior Court 1, where I remain today.  Superior Court 1 is a court of general jurisdiction, where I handle cases ranging from thefts and driving offenses to murder.  Another major responsibility of this assignment is being the assigned prosecutor for the Grant County Re-entry Court.  Re-entry Court is a problem-solving court, designed not only to protect the public, but to assist offenders in their reintegration into society, by providing structure, supervision, opportunity, and resources to assist them in recovery, based on their individualized needs.  This is a collaboration between the court, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Public Defender’s Office, the probation department, and local treatment providers.

During my time at the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office, I have attended numerous trainings (see Attachment 1 – attached).  Some of my responsibilities include covering Marion and Gas City Courts, attending Child Forensic Interviews at the First Light Child Advocacy Center, reviewing, and charging cases ranging from infractions to Murder, assisting the Prosecutor and Chief Deputy in the daily operation of the office, and covering IV-D court, Marion and Gas City Court, and Juvenile Court when needed.

I have also taken on several extra duties within the office.  For example, in 2018, I began a push to reduce office backlog by better utilizing the statewide prosecutor case portal, Indiana Prosecutor’s Management System (INPCMS).  Some of the benefits the office realized are reduced paper waste, improved case tracking, improved prosecutor accountability, and in-court utilization of INPCMS.  I am also the office administrator for several software platforms, including the Indiana State Police body cam software, Marion Police body cam software, INPCMS, Indiana Department of Toxicology portal, and the Indiana State Police Lab portal.  I often run reports for the courts, other agencies, and our office, to help identify inefficiencies, old cases, etc.  I am always looking for ways to include technology to increase efficiency.

Additionally, I have kept myself busy in other aspects of life.  I am head coach for my son’s 8u baseball team and I am an assistant coach for flag and tackle football in the fall.  I regularly attend their soccer, judo, and basketball practices and games and assist them in their 4-H projects.  I have also been operating a professional DJ business in my off-duty hours since 2014.  I regularly conduct weddings, birthday parties, karaoke shows, and special events.  I have DJed the local Republican Party Election Results Party on multiple occasions.

The role of a prosecutor is to seek justice.  In my twenty-five years in law enforcement (twelve of those with the Grant County Prosecutors Office) I have always followed the law.  However, that does not mean that everyone must receive a conviction or a maximum sentence.  Sometimes justice is served by an alternate sentence or by dismissing a case, if that is what justice means for that particular set of facts. I believe that my experiences in law enforcement over the last twenty five years have prepared me to be fair, but firm.  As a judge, I intend on continuing that philosophy to serve the citizens of Grant County and the State of Indiana.

In summary, I understand how to effectively manage a busy court calendar.  I love the courtroom, and I understand the importance of allowing people to be heard.  I have never lost sight of the fact that the hearing or trial before the court on any given day is the most important case in the world for the people affected by the outcome.  I understand the importance of family, and will never lose sight of that.  Finally, I have always been firm, but fair.  I believe I would make an excellent, well-rounded candidate for judge for Grant Superior Court 1.

As noted above, part of my assignment to Grant Superior Court 1 is that of the Re-entry Court Prosecutor.  This assignment requires regular court appearances, staffing meetings, and a commitment to restorative justice and rehabilitation.    While this may sound like another role in which the prosecutor is responsible “punishment”, it is actually quite the opposite. It is quite rewarding to watch Re-Entry court participants evolve and eventually graduate, becoming better citizens.

Before covid, I volunteered my time almost every year for the annual Martin Luther King Talk to a Lawyer Day as an organizer, volunteer, and liaison.   During my time as the Grant County Bar President, I also met regularly with representatives from Wabash Valley Volunteer Attorneys, Inc./Indiana Legal Services, connecting those in need to legal services. 

In March, 2025, I was again elected by my peers in a contested race to lead the Grant County Bar Association as President. I look forward to reviving what has become a stagnant organization over the last few years.

This is my first time running an official campaign. You may have seen my name on the ballot in past, as I have previously ran for State Convention Delegate and Precinct Committeeman:

• May, 2016 - Precinct Committeeman- Washington Township 1, Elected (Reappointed by Grant County Republican Party July, 2020).

• May, 2016 - State Convention Delegate – District 1, Elected.

• May, 2022 - State Convention Delegate – At Large, Elected.

• May, 2024 - Precinct Committeeman- Washington Township 1, Defeated (Appointed to different district by Grant County Republican Party May, 2024)

• May, 2024 - State Convention Delegate – At Large, Elected.