State judicial leaders have selected 10 finalists to fill two upcoming judicial seats in Lake County, setting the stage for gubernatorial appointments to the local trial bench before the end of the year.
The Lake County Judicial Nominating Commission announced the finalists Friday following public interviews with 17 applicants to succeed retiring Lake Superior Court Judges Natalie Bokota and Sheila Moss.
Under Indiana law, the local judicial nominating panel is required to deliberate publicly and submit the five "most highly qualified candidates" for each open seat directly to the governor's desk.
The Nominees
For the vacancy created by the pending retirement of Judge Natalie Bokota, the commission submitted the following five nominees:
- Caleb Johnson
- Commissioner Amy Jorgensen
- Magistrate Shaun Olsen
- Senior Judge Michael Pagano
- Ryan Rowan
For the vacancy created by the pending retirement of Judge Sheila Moss, the commission forwarded:
- Christopher Bruno
- Referee Timothy Haraminac
- Commissioner Karyn Price
- Eric Randall
- Magistrate David Urbanski
The slate draws heavily from the Region's active judicial officers, including sitting magistrates, court commissioners, referees, and senior jurists across the Lake County court system.
What Comes Next
With the formal transmission of the lists, Governor Mike Braun has 60 days to evaluate the nominees and make formal appointments to the Lake Superior Court bench.
The commission commended Judges Bokota and Moss for their decades of combined public service presiding over civil and criminal dockets in Northwest Indiana.
