« Ind. Law - Still more on golf carts in Greene County; Bainbridge to ban ATVs but allow golf carts | Main | Ind. Courts - More on "Terre Haute Attorney Arrested" »

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Ind. Courts - More on "The Perry Circuit Court has an immediate opening for a Magistrate"

On Thursday, Nov. 1, the ILB posted this entry, pointing to a notice on the Indiana Courts web site that the Perry Circuit Court "has an immediate opening for a Magistrate."

On Monday, Nov. 5th the ILB posted this entry, pointing to a story in the Perry County News that began:

TELL CITY - A dramatic clash Tuesday [Oct. 30th] between Judge Lucy Goffinet and Jonathan Parkhurst, the county's appointed magistrate, over how to reduce the number of prisoners in the county jail led to Parkhurst's dismissal the next day.

Goffinet, Perry County's elected circuit-court judge, confirmed Thursday she had terminated Parkhurst's employment as of 4 p.m. Wednesday [Oct. 31].

Today the Perry County News reports, in a story by Kevin Koelling:
TELL CITY - "I think this is a great opportunity to do something different, to use my legal skills in a different way than I have been for the past eight years," attorney Karen Werner said of her selection as the next Perry County magistrate.

Perry Circuit Judge Lucy Goffinet notified The News Monday she had appointed Werner to replace Jonathan Parkhurst. As The News reported Nov. 5, Goffinet fired the former magistrate the preceding week in response to what she called unprofessional words and actions on his part during a discussion on how to ease jail overcrowding.

Parkhurst called the interchange simply "a disagreement."

Werner gained experience in criminal, family, juvenile, collections, estate-planning, zoning and guardianship areas since she began working at the Waldschmidt and Werner law practice in 1999. Her father, John, is a longtime Perry County attorney. * * *

Goffinet said she appointed Werner "because she's capable, professional, local and she gets along with everyone."

Werner will begin working in her new job after a swearing-in ceremony scheduled for 8 a.m. Monday in the main courtroom at the Perry County Courthouse.

The public is welcome to attend, Goffinet said.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on November 15, 2007 06:38 PM
Posted to Indiana Courts