Q1: Tell us about yourself. What career path has lead you to this current position?
I grew up in northeast Indiana, graduated from Huntington North High School and completed my undergraduate degree here in Fort Wayne at IPFW, now Purdue Fort Wayne. After obtaining my bachelor’s degree, I went to law school. I received my law degree from Indiana University - McKinney School of Law in 2008.
After graduating law school, I returned to Fort Wayne to begin my law career. I spent 13 years in private practice at Beckman Lawson, LLP before my appointment as a Circuit Court Magistrate in 2020. During my time in private practice, I focused on civil cases and domestic relations cases. The domestic relations cases included divorce, custody, adoptions, parenting-time issues, paternity, child support modifications and other cases involving children.
Q2: What are you most looking forward to in this new role?
I love my job. Every day I handle a variety of different cases and there is always something new to learn. I am looking forward to serving the citizens of Allen County as the new Circuit Court Judge and having a positive impact on the people in our community, especially children. I am also looking forward to continuing the work of Judge Felts and Judge Davis in our three problem solving courts.
Q3: What goals have you set for yourself as Allen Circuit Court judge?
One of my goals is to continue to increase the efficiency of Circuit Court. We are working to improve our internal processes to ensure that hearings are scheduled timely and orders are processed efficiently. I want Circuit Court to be the court where people want to file their new cases. I also want to continue to improve the problem-solving courts and improve the outcomes for the participants in our programs.
Q4: What do you feel will be most challenging about your new role? Most rewarding?
One of the most challenging aspects of this position is working with individuals struggling with mental illness and addiction. The Allen Circuit Court has three problem solving courts that focus on addressing the underlying issues of mental illness and addiction within the criminal case. If we can address the mental illness and addiction components, then we hope to reduce recidivism.
The most rewarding part of my job is the ability to impact the families in our community in positive ways. We are working with people that are facing some of life’s most difficult challenges, whether it be divorce or a custody case, or someone struggling with mental illness and addiction that now finds themself in the criminal court. As the Judge, I have the opportunity to treat these issues with compassion and accountability.
Q5: What does a normal day look like for you?
I don’t think there is a normal day. Allen Circuit Court is a court of general jurisdiction, which means we handle civil cases, domestic relations cases and criminal cases. As the Judge, I could be presiding over any or all of those types of cases on a given day.
I am typically on the bench presiding over cases from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., with a lunch break around noon. The remaining portion of my day is spent handling administrative items such as reviewing pleadings filed by lawyers and/or parties, reviewing agreements and deciding whether to grant the agreement or set it for a hearing, overseeing adult probation and handling employee matters.
Q6: What do you enjoy most about living in Fort Wayne? Do you have favorite places you frequent?
I love the small-town feel of Fort Wayne where we regularly run into people we know. Downtown has completely changed since I started practicing in 2008. I really enjoy Promenade Park. On the weekends, our regular date-night stops are Summit Grill and Eddie Merlot’s.
Q7: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my husband and three boys. We like spending time at the lake, hiking and kayaking.
