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

Stephen Scheele stands in front of the American flag and the Indiana flag as he speaks. Scheele is a White man, balding with dark hair. He is wearing glasses and a suit and tie.
Brandon Smith
/
IPB News
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.

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Brandon Smith has covered the Statehouse for Indiana Public Broadcasting for more than a decade, spanning three governors and a dozen legislative sessions. He's also the host of Indiana Week in Review, a weekly political and policy discussion program seen and heard across the state. He previously worked at KBIA in Columbia, Missouri and WSPY in Plano, Illinois. His first job in radio was in another state capitol - Jefferson City, Missouri - as a reporter for three stations around the Show-Me State.