Ind. Sup. Ct. Order: order-other-2025-25S-MS-363

In the

Indiana Supreme Court

Cause No. 25S-MS-363

Order Appointing Members to the Commission on

Court Appointed Attorneys

The Commission on Court Appointed Attorneys is established by Indiana Code section

33-40-5-2 and, alongside the Office of the State Public Defender and Indiana Public Defender

Council, serves a vital role in Indiana’s public defense infrastructure. By law, the Chief Justice of

Indiana is required to appoint three members to the Commission. Judge Mary Ellen Diekhoff,

Monroe Circuit Court; Judge Kelsey Hanlon, Owen Circuit Court; and Jim Abbs, Chief Public

Defender, Noble County, have served as my appointments, and I thank them for their

exceptional service to Indiana’s criminal justice system.

I hereby appoint the following members to the Commission, pursuant to the limitations of

Indiana Code sections 33-40-5-2(b) and -2(b)(2), effective January 1, 2026:

• Hon. Karin McGrath, Kosciusko Superior Court 1;

• Hon. Ryan Hatfield, Vanderburgh Circuit Court; and

• Mark Clark, Washington County Chief Public Defender (ret.)

Their terms shall expire on June 30, 2029, or when a successor is appointed.

Loretta H. Rush

Chief Justice of Indiana

Done at Indianapolis, Indiana, on ____________.

12/23/2025