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State Supreme Justice Brent Dickson Announces Retirement

Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Brent Dickson
IN Supreme Court
Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Brent Dickson

Governor Mike Pence will have an opportunity for the first time in his administration to appoint a Supreme Court Justice after Brent Dickson announced his plans Monday to retire.  

Dickson, who’s served on the State Supreme Court since 1986, says jokingly he doesn’t know why Governor Robert Orr appointed him nearly 30 years ago.  But he says he’s proud of the focus he’s had on ensuring lawyer civility during his time on the bench…and says collegiality should be a priority for the next justice.

“We have a great tradition of being able to respect each other even if we disagree," he says. "We write opinions that maybe are critical of each other’s ideas but not each other as people.”

Dickson says drawing on his 17 years in private practice helped him as a Supreme Court justice and he hopes his replacement has similar experience dealing with clients.

“Working with them to solve their problems, sharing in the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat with them and realizing how statutes and legal decisions affect their lives at a very personal level – I think that’s a valuable background for any justice to have on the Court," Dickson said earlier today.

Dickson faced a mandatory retirement at age 75 in July of 2016; he says he will retire some time in the spring.  

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