The list of applicants to replace state Supreme Court Justice Frank Sullivan was reduced to three Wednesday and only one woman remains.
The Judicial Nominating Commission narrowed the list of 22 applicants down to ten last month. And from the ten emerged three finalists: Hamilton Superior Court Judge Steven Nation, Tippecanoe Superior Court Judge Loretta Rush and Indianapolis attorney Geoffrey Slaughter.
Much attention has been paid to the role of gender in deciding the finalists – many in the Hoosier legal community have called for a woman to be named to the Court for only the second time in state history. Sixteen of the 22 original applicants and six of the ten semi-finalists were women, but now only Rush remains.
Chief Justice Brent Dickson, who leads the commission, says gender was a part of the discussion.
“We talked about it. We talked about its impact and we agonized over our final choices.”
The vote was six to one for the three finalists. Governor Daniels will have sixty days once he officially receives the list to choose Indiana’s next Supreme Court justice.
