Chesterton Tribune

 

 

Mary DeBoer to run for Porter County Circuit Court judge

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Judge Mary DeBoer has announced her candidacy for the bench of Porter Circuit Court in the 2020 election cycle.

In November, Gov. Eric Holcomb appointed DeBoer to serve as the judge of the Porter Circuit Court after Judge Mary Harper retired leaving one year of her term to complete.

Judge DeBoer was sworn in effective Jan. 1.

DeBoer graduated from Western Michigan University with honors in 1989 with degrees in criminal justice and political science. In 1993 she graduated from Valparaiso University School of Law, then served as a deputy prosecuting attorney in Starke and Porter counties for 13 years where she worked on everything from juvenile cases to murder trials.

DeBoer was also appointed to serve as the Magistrate of the Starke Circuit Court in 2005 and 2006. Since August 2011, DeBoer has presided over domestic relations and probate matters in Porter County.

Although a member of the Porter County judiciary for the past nearly nine years, DeBoer has never previously run for political office. As Magistrate of Porter Superior Court 1, she was not required to participate in elections to keep her position. In order to accept the appointment as Porter Circuit Court Judge, DeBoer left her post in Superior Court to assume the responsibilities of the Circuit Court, including overseeing the Porter County Juvenile Services Center as well as managing a full civil and criminal docket.

Professionally, Judge DeBoer has spearheaded the implementation of the Guardianship Registry in Porter County courts and has facilitated an award of grant money from the Indiana Supreme Court so that Porter County could have its own Adult Guardianship Program to provide services for more incapacitated adults in Porter County. In 2018, DeBoer served as a co-leader from the judiciary to organize a multi-disciplinary team to attend trainings to learn how to better combat the opioid crisis in our county. In 2019, she again coordinated a team of key leaders comprised of two judicial officers, the prosecutor, defense attorneys, law enforcement, DCS, mental health providers and members of community corrections in Porter County who have worked together throughout the year to obtain $60,000 in grant money to use toward expanding or implementing programs for opioid addicted litigants in our community.

Outside of the office, DeBoer is an active member of the Valparaiso Noon Kiwanis where she started a Backpack and Snacks Program to assist food-insecure children in the Valparaiso Community Schools. She is also a member of United Way--Women United in Porter County. As a hobby, DeBoer has participated in community theatre throughout Northwest Indiana for the past 17 years performing in over 40 productions in Valparaiso, Portage, Chesterton, Hammond, Michigan City and Crown Point.

 

 

Posted 1/14/2020

 
 
 
 

 

 

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