INDIANAPOLIS – The judges of the Court of Appeals of Indiana elected Judge Robert R. Altice, Jr. to serve a three-year term as Chief Judge starting on January 1, 2023. He succeeds his colleague, Judge Cale J. Bradford, who served with distinction as Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2022.
Judge Altice was appointed to the Court of Appeals by Governor Mike Pence and began his service on September 2, 2015. He began his legal career as a deputy prosecutor handling felony cases in Jackson County, MO, and then focused on medical malpractice defense with a Kansas City firm. He later joined an Indianapolis firm, concentrating on insurance defense. From 1994-2000, Judge Altice prosecuted major felonies for the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, including three years as Chief of the Felony Division. After his 2000 election to the Marion County bench, he presided at more than 250 major felony jury trials and 15 civil jury trials. He was Presiding Judge of the Marion Superior Court from 2009-2011.
Judge Altice is a member of the Indiana Judges Association, has served on the Board of Directors of the Judicial Conference of Indiana, and was a member of the Indiana Judicial Conference Community Relations Committee and Civil Bench Book Committee. He recently chaired the Eviction Diversion Task Force which assisted tenants and landlords in the State of Indiana with receiving funds from the COVID relief bill.
Judge Altice earned his B.A. from Miami University, OH, an M.S. in criminal justice administration from the University of Central Missouri, and his law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law.
By law, the 15-member Court of Appeals elects a Chief Judge every three years. The Chief Judge represents the court at public and private events, attends ceremonies, serves as the court’s liaison to the legislative and executive branches, and leads the administrative functions of the court.
As the second-highest court in Indiana, the Court of Appeals hears appeals from the state’s trial courts and some state agencies. The Court hears cases in three-judge panels, and all panels have statewide jurisdiction and rotate three times per year. Cases are randomly assigned. The 15 members of the Court issue approximately 2,000 written opinions each year. A decision of the Court of Appeals of Indiana is final unless granted further review by the Indiana Supreme Court.
