INDIANA — Indiana voters heading to the polls will consider whether to retain three statewide jurists serving on the Indiana Court of Appeals and the Indiana Tax Court.
The retention ballot features Judge Mary DeBoer and Judge Paul Felix, who both serve on statewide districts of the Indiana Court of Appeals—the state’s second-highest court—as well as Judge Justin McAdam, who serves as the sole judge on the specialized Indiana Tax Court.
Under Indiana’s merit selection system, appellate and tax court judges do not run against opposing candidates. Instead, voters decide a straightforward “Yes” or “No” question on whether each judge should be retained in office for a full 10-year term.
The process begins when a vacancy opens, at which point the seven-member Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission evaluates applicants and submits a list of three qualified nominees to the governor. The governor makes the final appointment from that list. Newly appointed judges face their initial non-partisan retention vote at the first statewide general election held after serving at least two years on the bench. If a majority of voters approve retention, the judge serves a 10-year term before facing another retention vote.
The Judges Up for Retention
Judge Mary DeBoer (Indiana Court of Appeals)
Appointed to the Court of Appeals in 2024 by former Gov. Eric Holcomb, DeBoer previously served as the Porter Circuit Court Judge starting in 2019 following an extended career in both public service and private law practice, including 13 years as a deputy prosecutor. A native of Kalamazoo, Michigan, she earned her undergraduate degree from Western Michigan University in 1989 and her Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University Law School in 1993.
Judge Paul Felix (Indiana Court of Appeals)
Appointed by Holcomb in July 2023, Felix began his judicial career as a Carmel City Court Judge following a 2007 appointment by former Gov. Mitch Daniels. He was subsequently elected as Hamilton Circuit Court Judge in 2009, a position he held for 14 years. Raised in Greenwood, Indiana, Felix earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from Indiana University Bloomington.
Judge Justin McAdam (Indiana Tax Court)
McAdam serves as the sole judge on the Indiana Tax Court, having been appointed by Holcomb in September 2023. A Terre Haute North Vigo High School alumnus, he graduated from Indiana University in 2005 and obtained his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 2011. Before joining the bench, he practiced law in Terre Haute and served as deputy director and chief legal counsel for the Indiana Office of Management and Budget.
Structure of Indiana’s Appellate Courts
The 15-member Indiana Court of Appeals is divided into five geographic and administrative districts:
- Districts 1, 2, and 3 represent the southern, central, and northern thirds of Indiana, respectively.
- Districts 4 and 5 operate as statewide districts.
The Court of Appeals hears appeals from state trial courts across Indiana, reviewing case filings, legal briefs, and oral arguments without retrying facts or admitting new evidence. Rulings from the court may be appealed to the Indiana Supreme Court, though direct appeals involving death penalty cases, statutes struck down as unconstitutional by trial courts, and attorney disciplinary matters go straight to the state Supreme Court. Cases involving state tax disputes are handled exclusively by the Indiana Tax Court.
