Judge Gary Miller Files For Primary Race

In a press release today from local attorney Robert Rothkopf and campaign manager for Judge Gary L. Miller, an announcement comes that Judge Miller has decided to file for re-election as judge of the Marion Superior Court in the May Republican primary. The press release reads:

Judge Gary L. Miller, Judge of the Marion Superior Court, for more than 17 years, has filed his paperwork with the Indiana Secretary of State to run for re-election in the May primary election. Although endorsed by the Marion County GOP in 1990, 1996 and 2002, Judge Miller was not slated at the party convention on February 16.

Campaign Chair Bob Rothkopf said, "We have had many calls from lawyers and GOP party members, including precinct committeepersons and ward chairs, who have expressed surprise that an experienced and capable jurist of Judge Miller's caliber was not slated." Rothkopf added that Judge Miller, a candidate with proven experience and qualifications, will be appealing to Republican voters in the May primary to reconsider the judgment of a very small number of the party officials who stayed through the final vote at the slating convention. Judge Miller's judicial experience, temperament, and talents over the last 18 years have been rewarded with high marks in every poll conducted by the Indianapolis Bar Association and by his excellent reputation for impartiality and fairness throughout the legal community.

Judge Miller first received the endorsement of the GOP in 1990 prior to his first election. From January 1991 until December 2000 he was assigned to the Criminal Division where he presided over more than 400 major felony jury trials. He was reelected in 1996 after receiving the GOP endorsement, and again in 2002. He has served as Judge in the Marion Superior Court, Civil Division, Room 5 since January 2, 2001.

Judge Miller is a life long resident of Marion County and graduated from North Central High School in 1974. He was elected to the North Central Wall of Fame in 2004. Judge Miller received his A.B. degree from Indiana University in Bloomington in 1977, and his J.D. in 1980 from the Indiana University School of Law at Indianapolis .

While in law school, Judge Miller worked first as a bailiff in the Municipal and Circuit Courts, and then as an intern in the Marion County Prosecutor's office. After graduating law school, he was hired as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney by Steve Goldsmith. He left in 1983 and began work with the law firm of Hollingsworth and Meek, and became a partner in 1987.

Since 1992, Judge Miller has also served as an adjunct Professor of Law at the Indiana University School of Law in Indianapolis . He teaches Trial Practice and Professional Responsibility.

Judge Miller has lectured on criminal, civil law, and legal ethics issues to groups that include the Indiana Judicial Center, Indiana State Bar Association, the Indianapolis Bar Association, the American Probation and Parole Association, the Indiana Department of Education, and the Commercial Law League of America.

Judge Miller is active in the Indianapolis Bar Association and served as its President in 2003. He is a Fellow of the Indiana State Bar Association and the Indianapolis Bar Association. He has been on the Board of the Indiana University School of Law at Indianapolis , Alumni Association since 1993, and completed a term as its President in 2000-2001.

Judge Miller was one of three incumbent judges the Republicans failed to re-slate at the party's county convention last weekend. The other two judges were Judge Kenneth Johnson and Judge John Hammel. No word on whether either Johnson or Hammel will run in the May primary. Judge Miller's decision comes as a big relief for many members of the local bar who feared voters would be without a choice in the May primary in the superior court race to nominate 8 judicial candidates, all of whom are ensured of winning the November election. Many attorneys were particularly appalled at the slating of Timothy Oakes, a lobbyist for the cable TV industry. Oakes was convicted of drunk driving causing the death of another person when he was 17. He was also fired by former Marion Co. Prosecutor Scott Newman after he suspected Oakes of tipping off his father that he was the target of a criminal investigation. Oakes was later cleared of criminal wrongdoing but not rehired by the prosecutor's office.

A survey taken by the Indianapolis Bar Association found that 85.5% of the responding members of the local bar recommended Judge Miller for service on the bench. By comparison, Oakes was recommended by only 60.3% of the respondents, the lowest approval percentage received by any of the Republican judicial candidates surveyed. You can view the biographies of different judical candidates by clicking here.