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Sunday, July 15, 2007

Ind. Courts - "Entire constellations of political stars have dimmed, and sometimes flickered out, since Van Bokkelen was appointed in 2001"

That heading is a quote from Andy Grimm's story today in the Gary Post-Tribune about U.S. Attorney Joseph Van Bokkelen. More from the story:

The Operation Restore Public Integrity probe that began with the indictment of Katie Hall for extorting money from her staff in the clerk's office -- a generations-old tradition in Lake County politics, she complained then and now -- has made Van Bokkelen one of the most prominent figures in Northwest Indiana.

Sometime next week, Van Bokkelen will step down from his post to become a U.S. District Court judge, replacing Rudy Lozano. Ironically, there are whispers that politics are at play in Van Bokkelen's appointment to the federal bench, plans that were announced by U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar only days before a scandal began developing in Washington surrounding the firing of nine U.S. attorneys. * * *

[But] Van Bokkelen, say peers, has seldom appeared to be a political animal. A former assistant U.S. attorney, Van Bokkelen has never held political office and has few ties to those who do. * * *

And Van Bokkelen, 64, is at an advanced age to receive a lifetime judicial appointment. Lozano took senior status when he turned 65 on Tuesday. Even at 59, Van Bokkelen was fairly old for an appointee as U.S. attorney, a post that can be a star-making turn for an ambitious politician.

Most lawyers his age with "former U.S. attorney" on their resume are comfortably earning multiples of a District judge's $150,000 salary as partners in private law firms.

"I don't know how much Joe would be making in private practice. He was a very solid attorney, and it would be better than what judges get," said another attorney, "but you almost think he had to be doing this because he just likes the public service." * * *

As for his future employment, Van Bokkelen said he intends to stay on the bench "as long as I'm alive."

"I never intended to retire," he said. "I like being a lawyer. This has been a fun job... I think being a judge will be neat... it's time for the next challenge."

Access a list of earlier ILB entries on Van Bokkelen here.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on July 15, 2007 09:20 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts