Allen County Superior Court Magistrate David Zent has been selected to finish out the term of Allen Superior Judge John Surbeck.
Surbeck is slated to retire at the end of 2018, with two years left on his term. Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb announced Zent’s appointment Thursday.
Zent is the son of State Representative Denny Zent, a Republican from Indiana House District 51 in LaGrange and Steuben counties.
Magistrate Zent has served in the Superior Court Criminal Division misdemeanor and traffic section since 2015. Prior to that, Zent worked in private practice, served in the Allen County Public Defender’s Office and the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office.
“Succeeding someone of Judge Surbeck’s stature will be a challenge, but it’s one I look forward to. The time I’ve already spent on the Criminal Division bench as a Magistrate gives me every reason to be excited about the future and about what I can do to make an already outstanding Court even better. We face important challenges in the Courts, as we try to deliver effective justice in a more and more complex society," Zent said in a release.
"I know I’m up to the challenge, and I thank Governor Holcomb for his confidence and for this appointment to the Allen Superior Court bench.”
