Porter County
Superior Court 2 Judge William Alexa will retire this fall, a year before
his current term ends.
It will be Indiana
Governor Eric Holcomb’s charge to appoint a successor to fill the vacancy
according to state law.
Holcomb’s office is
currently taking applications for the position of judge through Thursday,
Aug. 24, according to Holcomb’s Deputy Chief of Staff Jane Jankowski. The
Governor’s General Counsel and staff will then vet the applications and
conduct interviews with applicants to make their final recommendation to the
governor, Jankowski told the Chesterton Tribune.
“Typically, the
goal to complete this process is about 60 days from the closing of the
application period. That can vary based on how many other vacancies that we
may have elsewhere in the state at the same time,” she said.
To be considered
for judge of a superior court in Indiana, persons are required by law to be
a resident of the county in which the court is located and must be admitted
to practice law within the state, as specified in Indiana Code 33-29-1-3.
The criteria listed
in the application asks interested candidates to tell their current law
license status, the extent to which they practice law, any military and
judicial/trial experience, any public offices held, any legal proceedings
and a description of their physical health.
Jankowski said that
political parties are not a condition for the appointment. Alexa is a
Democrat while Holcomb is a Republican.
The Governor’s
Office will be able to make known the identity of the applicants after the
application process is over, Jankowski said.
Alexa talks about
retirement
Alexa told the
Tribune he plans his last day as judge to be Oct. 3. If the Governor’s
Office does not decide an appointment by then, retired Superior Court 2
Judge Thomas Webber will fill in during the interim
A current resident
of Union Twp., Alexa himself replaced Webber when he retired in December
2002. Alexa was serving as the Fifth District State Senator for Indiana when
he was appointed by then-Governor Frank O’Bannon.
Alexa served 14
years as State Senator, beginning in 1988. A decade back, he worked as
deputy and chief deputy for the Porter County Prosecutor’s Office from 1975
to 1978. At one time, he was president of the Valparaiso Park Board.
“I’m proud to say
that I have worked in the three branches of government -- the executive
branch, the legislative branch and the judicial branch,” said Alexa.
Alexa was reelected
as the incumbent judge in 2006 and again in 2012.
At age 76, he said
he is looking forward to spending more time with his wife Joyce, who
recently retired from the Visiting Nurse Association of Porter County.
“It’s time. I want
to give someone else an opportunity to do it today. But I have enjoyed my 30
years in public service. I’m going to miss the people a lot and my staff.
It’s a fun place to come to work every day,” Alexa said.