HANCOCK COUNTY — It’s all about “job experience” as far as Cody Coombs is concerned when it comes to helping voters distinguish among the candidates vying to be the judge of Hancock County Superior Court 1.
Coombs thinks his resume, which includes a decade of law experience, speaks for itself, and it’s why he’s running for the judge’s seat.
He’s one of four people running in the June 2 Republican primary for a six-year term. The others are Marie Castetter, the current Superior Court 1 judge who was appointed to the seat in December by Gov. Eric Holcomb; and attorneys D.J. Davis and Jessica Lacy. Stories about all the candidates are appearing this week in the Daily Reporter.
Coombs, a married father of two, has served as the county court commissioner since January 2018. The job has allowed him to oversee numerous cases as an ancillary judge in the county courts.
“The message is experience,” Coombs said. “I’m still the only candidate with at least two years experience as a judicial officer.”
Coombs, who graduated with honors from the McKinney School of Law at Indiana University in 2009, said it’s been interesting meeting voters and trying to explain his current job and why he wants to be the elected judge in Superior Court 1.
“What I’ve found is probably about 99 percent of the people don’t really know what a court commissioner is,” Coombs said.
Once Coombs explains his current job, telling folks he’s already an official judicial officer, hearing cases daily in the courts, he thinks people get it and realize his experience makes him well-suited to be an elected judge.
“I do the same things that the judges do, and I receive the same training,” Coombs said.
Coombs developed a strong desire to go into the field of law when he was only 12 years old; he knew he wanted to one day be a judge after spending a day with a one.
“I kind of fell in love while watching the courtroom proceedings, the process, and I worked to become a lawyer and now a judicial official,” Coombs said.
John Davis is Coombs’ campaign treasurer and decided to support him based on what he saw after working with Coombs for a decade at the Pritzke & Davis law firm in Greenfield.
“I saw him do the work, know the work and have tremendous dedication to his clients,” Davis said.
Davis has also watched Coombs closely during his time as the court commissioner and has been impressed with his skills on the bench.
“He shows a great temperament and has really good knowledge of the law, so for me, he’s the perfect candidate,” Davis said.
The experience on the bench is invaluable, Davis noted. But, he’s been most impressed with the way Coombs interacts with litigants, treating people fairly and always looking for a fair and just resolution.
“Cody treats people in a gentlemanly way,” Davis said. “He’s not going to be the type of judge who will yell at people, unless they get out of line, and if that happens, he can handle it.”
Coombs notes on his campaign website that the Superior Court 1 docket is often referred to as the “Rocket Docket” because of how efficiently former Judge Terry Snow scheduled and heard cases in the courtroom.
Coombs said he learned firsthand under Snow how to run an efficient court. Coombs plans to continue to implement Snow’s efficient scheduling policies if elected, he said.
As the current court commissioner, Coombs said he’s always prioritized CHINS (Child In Need of Services) cases, civil actions filed to protect children.
“Through CHINS cases, the court can provide services that ensure children are cared for, loved and protected,” Coombs said.
If elected judge, Coombs plans to institute biannual meetings for county-based CHINS lawyers, family case managers, and court-appointed special advocates to determine how the court can improve their work to make sure children get the appropriate care and resources they need.
Like the other candidates, Coombs also thinks it’s important for the county judicial system to take the next step and establish a behavioral or mental health court.
Janet Manship, a local attorney, has known Coombs for years. She says Coombs’ experience of working with families over the past decade gives him a real feel for community needs. He’s been a former board member of Edelweiss Equine Assisted Therapy Center (now Agape Therapeutic Riding Center) and is currently a board member of Elite Athletic Trend and Mental Health Partners of Hancock County.
Coombs has also been a former vice president and president of the Hancock County Bar Association and said he wants to be even more involved if elected.
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The Daily Reporter is presenting profiles of candidates whose names will appear on the primary ballot for county offices. This week, the candidates for Hancock County Superior Court 1 judge are featured. Stories on candidates in all the other races in the June 2 primary were published earlier and can be found online at www.greenfieldreporter.com.
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Age: 40
Party: Republican
Office sought: Judge, Hancock Superior Court1
Political experience: Candidate for Hancock County Circuit Court judge after retirement of Richard Culver but withdrew his name from consideration after being appointed to serve as court commissioner.
Family: Wife, Casey Coombs, two daughters,
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