The Court of Appeals of Indiana conducted a July 25 retirement ceremony and celebration honoring Judge Carr Darden as he retired from the court after nearly 18 years of service. Chief Judge Margret Robb presided.
Darden joined the court in November 1994 after his appointment by Gov. Evan Bayh. He was a judge of Marion Superior Court from 1991-94 and of Marion Municipal Court from 1989-91. He is a 1970 graduate of Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis and a former Marion County public defender and chief deputy state public defender.
The Tennessee native and U.S. Air Force veteran is retiring at the mandatory age of 75 but will continue to serve the state as a senior judge.
“It’s hard to leave the best job in the world,” Darden said, “but you know, I hope I can say it was a job well done.”
Darden has received numerous honors during his career, including the Paul H. Buchanan Jr. Award of Excellence in 1994 from the Indianapolis Bar Foundation. He especially cherishes the fact that his colleagues on the Marion County bench deemed him “exceptionally qualified” to serve on the trial court.
Darden is the second African-American to serve on the Court of Appeals and the first to retire from it.
“Judge Darden is an esteemed colleague, a trusted friend and a delightful man,” Chief Judge Robb said. “He’s served our state with distinction and all of us here at the court extend our warmest congratulations and best wishes to him.”
The Court of Appeals is Indiana’s second highest court. It hears appeals from Indiana trial courts, including small claims courts, and from administrative agency decisions. Sitting in three-judge panels, the court’s 15 judges issue more than 2,000 opinions each year. The court celebrated its centennial in 2001.
Gov. Mitch Daniels will name Judge Darden’s successor from a list of three names submitted to him on June 11 by the Judicial Nominating Commission.
