Porter County Circuit Court Judge Mary DeBoer will be the next member of the Indiana Court of Appeals, as Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Wednesday that she will fill the spot left vacant by retiring Judge Patricia Riley.
“Judge DeBoer is a person of immense integrity, intellect, and energy. I’m proud to appoint her to the Court of Appeals,” Holcomb said in a statement. “Judge DeBoer’s commitment to the law and justice will serve her fellow Hoosiers with distinction as she joins the second highest bench in Indiana.”
Currently, DeBoer handles a variety of civil and criminal cases, as well as overseeing the juvenile justice center, as a Porter County Circuit Court Judge. She heads three problem-solving courts: juvenile and family drug court, truancy court, and a mental health court for teens.
“Everybody is here for the same goal. We want what’s best for these kids and their families,” DeBoer told the Post-Tribune last year about the teen mental health court.
She also leads the Alternative Dispute Resolution program and the local Domestic Violence Committee.
Porter Circuit Court Judge Mary DeBoer, on left, and Porter County juvenile detention services director Alison Cox speak about progress they’ve made with participants in the new Porter County teen mental health court, the first of its kind in the state, on Wednesday, August 16, 2023. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune)
Holcomb previously appointed DeBoer to fill the remainder of Judge Mary Harper’s term when she retired in 2019.
Before that, DeBoer was a Magistrate Judge in Porter Superior Court for eight years. She also served as a Deputy Prosecutor in Porter County and Starke County, a Chief Probation Officer and Magistrate Judge in Starke County, an Associate Attorney in private practice, and an adjunct Instructor at Brown Mackie College.
DeBoer graduated from Valparaiso University Law School in 1993 and served as an intern at the Porter County Prosecutor’s Office as a law student. She received a bachelor’s degree with honors in criminal justice and political science at Western Michigan University in 1989.
“The application and vetting process for the Court of Appeals is extensive and has been a labor of love for me for the past year,” DeBoer said in an emailed statement. DeBoer said she was selected as one of three finalists for the position by the Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission in July. Then she was interviewed by three attorneys making up the Governor’s General Counsel staff before meeting with Holcomb for a final interview on Sept. 10.
“Serving as the Circuit Court Judge has been the most fulfilling career I’ve had to date,” DeBoer said. “I am eternally grateful that the people of Porter County elected me to be their Circuit Court Judge. I feel like I have hit my stride both in the courtroom and in my community. I can’t wait to work with my colleagues on the Court of Appeals and to discover the many ways I can contribute to the court as well as to the entire State of Indiana. I am deeply honored to have been selected by Governor Holcomb for this appellate judgeship. With Judge Riley’s retirement, I have big shoes to fill. I will continue to infuse my energy and enthusiasm into all I do in Indianapolis and throughout the state.”
Porter County Superior Court Judge Mary DeBoer speaks during a ceremony to dedicate a Porter County courtroom in Judge Mary Harper’s name on Thursday, July 14, 2022. Harper died Wednesday, September 14, 2022. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune)
The date for DeBoer’s swearing-in and robing ceremony has not yet been announced. DeBoer will join two other judges with Northwest Indiana roots on the Court of Appeals — Portage native Nancy Vaidik was a Porter Superior Court Judge and Munster resident Elizabeth Tavitas was a Lake County Superior Court Judge.
In Holcomb’s announcement, he spotlighted DeBoer’s compassion toward others and her “approachable personality” as qualities that would serve her well on the Court of Appeals.
As far as filling DeBoer’s vacancy, a county judicial nominating committee typically interviews candidates before making three recommendations to the governor. The final decision lies with Holcomb or whoever succeeds him as governor in January.
Post-Tribune Senior Content Editor Amy Lavalley contributed.
