A new judge takes the stand July 6 in Madison County, filling the vacancy left by the sudden passing of Judge David Hopper last February. But first, he must take an oath.
Attorney David Happe, will take the judge’s oath administered by the Honorable Dennis Carroll, Chief Judge of the Madison County Unified Court, on July 1. A brief ceremony on the 3rd floor of the courthouse starts at 4 p.m.
Happe, who is a Republican, was chosen by Governor Mitch Daniels over five other prospective lawyers, including a fellow former prosecutor; a deputy prosecutor; a former Colorado Supreme Court judge; a former Anderson mayoral candidate; and a former Superior Court 5 judicial candidate.
Happe said he has always found interest in public sector work.
“I’ve worked (as an attorney) for the city, I’ve worked as a deputy prosecutor, I’ve worked as a public defender, and the judiciary is the highest level of public service as a lawyer,” he said.
Although Happe hails from Hancock County, he has lived and worked in Madison County since 1997. In 2007, he joined a private law practice in Anderson with local attorneys Jeff Lockwood and Bryan Williams. Happe earned his law degree from the Indiana University School of Law in Indianapolis.