Bartholomew Circuit Court Judge Kelly Benjamin has announced her intention to seek another six-year term on the bench.
After her predecessor, Stephen Heimann, announced he would not seek re-election, Benjamin and fellow Republican Scott Andrews competed against each other in the 2016 GOP primary.
Benjamin emerged the winner with 8,180 votes — 18 percent more than Andrews received. She ran unopposed in November’s general election, and was sworn in at the end of the year.
As a judge, Benjamin has emerged as a champion of problem-solving courts, which form teams to determine and address underlying causes of an individual’s criminal conduct. For example, the judge presides over a Adult Recovery Problem-Solving Court, better known as a Drug Court.
The judge is a member of the Evidence Based Decision Making Team, holding leadership roles regarding jail substance abuse treatment and pre-trial services. The team was instrumental in helping start a successful jail addiction treatment program in 2020.
Working in several leadership roles with the Alliance of Substance Abuse Progress, Benjamin is also widely considered the catalyst for creating the Youth and Family Community Connection Stakeholder Committee. This group is currently reassessing the county’s juvenile justice system, community practices, resources, and opportunities.
At the state level, Benjamin serves as chairwoman of the Indiana Judicial Education Committee, and was chosen by Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush as the state’s only judicial representative to attend a week-long course at the at the National Judicial College. The course was focused on partnerships between legal and medical entities to successfully address substance use disorders.
Outside of the courthouse, the judge is a member of the Bartholomew County Heritage Fund Board, as well as the Race and Equity sub-committee.
While an intention to run for political office next year may be announced at this time, a formal candidacy cannot be declared until Jan. 5, the first day candidate filings are accepted for local, state and federal races.
