Judicial Officers Honored For Their Service And Seeking Advanced Education Including Judge R. Michael Cloud

(UNDATED) – Judges and magistrates across the state were recognized by the Supreme Court for their commitment to higher education and their long-time service.

Included in the list is Judge R. Michael Cloud, of Orange County.

He will retire upon the completion of his current term on Dec. 31, 2020, after 24 years on the bench, the longest tenure that any judge has served over the many years that Orange County has been an independent judicial circuit.

Cloud took office as judge of the former Orange County Court on Jan. 1, 1997. The Orange County Court was upgraded to a superior court in 2000, and Judge Cloud has served in that capacity ever since.

As to future plans, Judge Cloud is keeping his options open.

Nine judicial officers received an Indiana Judicial College certificate, and 15 were honored for years of service on the bench.

The accomplishments were celebrated during the annual judicial conference, which was held virtually to accommodate social distancing measures.

Indiana Judicial College:

Judicial officers must complete 120 hours of education presented by the Indiana Office of Court Services to receive this certificate. The program enhances legal knowledge and improves personal and professional development.

Hon. Kelly Benjamin, BartholomewMag. Susan Boatright, MarionHon. Crystal Brucker Kocher, PulaskiHon. Lynne Ellis, MartinHon. Paul Freed, FayetteHon. Greg Granger, WarrickHon. Sheryl Lynch, MarionMag. Pamela Munsey, LaPorteHon. Jeffrey Thorne, LaPorte

24 Years of Service:

Judicial officers with 24 years of service on the bench receive this award. Trial judges are commonly elected to a six-year term; therefore, a trial judge receiving this certificate has likely been elected more than four times.

  • Hon. Daniel Banina, Miami
  • Hon. Cale Bradford, Court of Appeals of Indiana
  • Hon. J. Richard Campbell, Hamilton
  • Hon. Julie Cantrell, Lake
  • Hon. R. Michael Cloud, Orange
  • Mag. Caryl Forsythe Dill, Marion
  • Hon. David Dreyer, Marion
  • Hon. Steven Eichholtz, Marion
  • Hon. Gregory Horn, Wayne
  • Hon. Rex Kepner, Benton
  • Hon. Robert McCallen, Wabash
  • Hon. Robert Mrzlack, White
  • Hon. David Northam, Rush
  • Hon. Joe Sutton, Kosciusko
  • Hon. Jonathan Webster, Jennings

The Indiana Office of Court Services is part of the Office of Judicial Administration. It serves as the state’s judicial research and continuing judicial education agency. It develops and sponsors educational programming for judges, probation officers, and other court personnel. The Office works to enhance the performance of the judicial system by continuously improving the professional competence of judicial officers.