The Possible Successor to Judge Hopper

The choice is one of the six - so sayeth The Herald Bulletin in Daniels' office to consider six for county bench:

"Officials with the governor’s office said the final six would be interviewed this week, and a decision is expected to quickly follow."

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Being interview for the opening are:

— Gregory K. Scott, 60, Republican. Scott served as a justice on the Colorado Supreme Court from 1993 to 2000. He was the executive director of the Indiana Civil Rights Commission from 2005 to 2008. Scott is currently assistant to the president for diversity for Ivy Tech Community College.

— Rudolph R. Pyle III, 39, declined to provide his political affiliation. Pyle is currently a deputy prosecutor in Superior Court 1. A former state police trooper, he has clerked for the Indiana Court of Appeals. He has a master's degree in public policy.

— David A Happe, 38, Republican. Happe served as Anderson attorney under former Mayor Kevin Smith from January 2004 to January 2007. A former prosecutor and chief administrative public defender, he has worked in private practice since early 2007. He ran an unsuccessful campaign against Judge Thomas Clem in 2002 for Superior Court 5.

— William C. Davisson, 47, Republican. Davisson served as a Madison County Deputy Prosecutor from 1995 to 1996. He has worked in private practice since 1990. He unsuccessfully ran in November to unseat Superior Court 5 Judge Thomas Clem. He has also served as a judge pro tem.

— Rodney J. Cummings, 53, Republican. Cummings, Madison County’s prosecutor for 12 years, is currently director of trial advocacy for the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. He is a former Anderson police officer, and prosecutes some homicide cases in Indianapolis. Cummings lost a bid to become judge of Madison Superior Court 2.

— John M. Blevins, declined to provide age, Republican. Blevins served three terms in the Indiana House of Representatives, 1972 through 1976. He lost a primary race against Thomas McMahan to be Anderson’s mayor in 1979. He lost another mayoral primary in 2003, against Smith. He currently works in private practice.

What most people do not realize is the sheer volume of cases going through this court. This is one of the two courts used chiefly by collection agencies and landlords. With any luck, the governor will appoint someone who understands the civil side of its case load. That means Happe. Davisson or Blevins. With what we have for a governor, I do not expect much.