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Headley one of seven finalists for appeals court vacancy
Following an initial round of interviews that included 13 candidates, Judge Matthew Headley is one of seven finalists for a spot on the Court of Appeals of Indiana.
Headley, judge of Putnam Circuit Court since 2004, is joined in the finalists pool by two other judges and four additional attorneys.
A Greencastle native, Headley was admitted to the Indiana Bar in 1990 following after earning his Bachelor of Arts in 1985 and his Jurris Doctorate and Masters of Business Administration in 1989, all from the University of Mississippi.
He spent time in both private practice and as a deputy prosecutor early in his career before completing two terms as Putnam County prosecutor from 1996-2004.
He is currently four years into his third six-year term as a judge.
The other finalists include Indiana Supreme Court Services Deputy Director Jason Bennett, Morgan Superior Court Judge Peter Foley, Clark County Chief Public Defender Abraham A. Navarro, Vigo Superior Court 2 Judge Lakshmi Y. Reddy, Harrison Circuit Court Judicial Officer Lisa G. Reger and Dearborn County attorney and professor Leanna K. Weissmann.
The vacancy is the result of the retirement of Court of Appeals Judge John Baker this summer. According to the Indiana Constitution and state statute, the seven-member Judicial Nominating Commission must recruit and select candidates to fill vacancies on Indiana appellate courts.
The Commission considers applicants’ legal education, writings, reputation in the practice of law and other pertinent information.
Following the July public interviews (which are expected to be held in person with details to be released soon) the Commission will meet in an executive session and then publicly vote to select the three most qualified candidates and submit them to Governor Eric Holcomb, who has 60 days from receiving the list to select Indiana’s next Court of Appeals judge.