Five Allen County Superior Court judges announced their re-election plans during a gathering at the county courthouse Wednesday afternoon.
With terms ending at the end of 2020, judges Craig Bobay, Jennifer DeGroote, Fran Gull, Andrea Trevino, and David Zent gathered to share their announcements.
DeGroote, Trevino and Zent were all appointed to the Allen County bench by Governor Eric Holcomb in 2018, making this their first time facing voters on the local ballot. Bobay was appointed in 2013, and re-elected in 2014.
Gull is a veteran of the court, serving in the Superior Court’s criminal division since 1997. She says one of the court’s goals is to demonstrate leadership to the community, something she believes has been effective.
"We wrote the jury rules that everybody works under and works by now. We had tremendous impact in the legislature with the red flag laws. We’ve had tremendous impact in creating and really re-defining problem-solving courts," she said.
She says the expansion of problem-solving courts in particular has drawn attention from state and national judiciary bodies.
“It used to just be drug courts. Now it’s mental health courts, it’s family restoration courts, it’s veteran’s courts… it’s all different types of courts.”
Zent deals with criminal cases with Gull, while Bobay and DeGroote handle civil cases. Trevino takes care of juvenile cases.
Judges who earn re-election from Allen County voters serve six-year terms on the bench. The non-partisan Superior Court judgeships will be on the Allen County General Election ballot on Nov. 3.
In late December, Allen Circuit Judge Tom Felts announced his decision to not seek re-election, and will be retiring at the end of this term. He has served on the Circuit Court bench since 2002, and as a judicial officer in Allen County for 30 years.
Allen Superior Judge Wendy Davis announced a plan to run as a Republican for Felts' seat.
