Per a release this afternoon from the Office of the Chief Justice:
Senior Judge Richard P. Good has been appointed as a temporary judge for the Marion Superior Court until Governor Mitchell E. Daniels Jr. names a permanent replacement, Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard announced today.A vacancy on the Marion Superior Court was created when veteran Juvenile Court Judge James W. Payne resigned today to take a position with the administration of Gov. Daniels. Senior Judge Good will begin work immediately.
Judge Good was previously a judge on the Marion Superior Court until his retirement in 2002 and has been a senior judge since then. In 2004 he served as a senior judge in Marion County more than 60 times. He has also been a chief deputy prosecutor and was the longtime executive director of the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council. In addition, he was a member of the commission that drafted the existing Juvenile Code.
“The members of our Court are grateful Judge Good is willing to serve a senior judge until a permanent replacement for Judge Payne is named. We are confident the Juvenile Court will run smoothly during this transition period. Judge Payne has brought national honor to Indiana for his work with children. While we are sad that he has left the bench, we wish him all success in his new assignment,” said Chief Justice Shepard.
Senior judges typically fill in on as needed basis in courts with high caseloads or where a judge is absent due to circumstances like illness or military service.
Gov. Daniels will select a permanent replacement for Judge Payne for a term that was scheduled to last until December 31, 2008.