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Holcomb makes final Court of Appeals appointment, names Lake County judge to bench

Lake County Superior Court Judge Stephen Scheele was a finalist for a previous Indiana Court of Appeals vacancy before his appointment to the appellate bench, announced on Dec. 16, 2024.
Lake County Superior Court Judge Stephen Scheele was a finalist for a previous Indiana Court of Appeals vacancy before his appointment to the appellate bench, announced on Dec. 16, 2024.

Gov. Eric Holcomb appointed Lake County Judge Stephen Scheele to the Indiana Court of Appeals Monday.

Holcomb said Scheele, a lifelong Lake County resident who’s been a county judge since 2019, is the “total package” — someone who will bring intellect to the position while also being approachable and relatable.

“A model, empathetic, humble,” Holcomb said.

Scheele said he hopes to be a leader on outreach — helping recruit people to the legal profession  amid an attorney shortage — and ambassadorship, helping spread the Court of Appeals’ best practices.

“My words cannot accurately, adequately capture the great sense of honor that I feel,” Scheele said.

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Scheele is Holcomb’s seventh and final Court of Appeals appointment. Holcomb has now appointed nearly half of the state’s appellate bench.

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at  bsmith@ipbs.org  or follow him on Twitter at  @brandonjsmith5 .

Brandon J. Smith has previously worked as a reporter and anchor for KBIA Radio in Columbia, MO. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, IL as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.