Judge Robert R. Altice Jr. became chief judge of the 15 member Court of Appeals of Indiana on Jan. 1
The judges of the Court of Appeals elected Altice to a three-year term as chief, succeeding Cale Bradford, who led the lower appellate court since 2020. A new chief judge is elected every three years.
Altice’s served 15 years on the Marion Superior Court, where he was presiding judge from 2009-2011. Prior to his judicial service, he spent 16 years in the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, including three years as chief of the Felony Division; practiced law in Indianapolis, where he concentrated on insurance defense; and practiced in Kansas City, Missouri, where he focused on medical malpractice defense. He was also a deputy prosecutor in Jackson County, Missouri. During his time as a trial judge, he presided over more than 250 major felony jury trials and 15 civil jury trials.
Altice earned his undergraduate degree from Miami University of Ohio, a master’s degree in criminal justice administration from the University of Central Missouri and a J.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law.
As chief judge, Altice will represent the court at public and private events, attending ceremonies, serve as liaison to the legislative and executive branches of government, and be in charge of the court’s administrative functions.