Grant County Superior Court Judge Dana Kenworthy will be the next member of the Indiana Court of Appeals. Kenworthy’s appointment will create the first female majority on the 15-member court.
The Indiana Court of Appeals has 15 judges, each drawn from one of five Appeals Court districts. Judges are nominated by the Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission and selected by the governor. Three judges serve in each district. Kenworthy’s appointment will mean eight of the 15 seats on the judicial body are held by women.
“Judge Kenworthy is one of the sharpest legal minds in our state which is what brought her to the courtroom, but it’s her passion for children and families that has kept her there,” Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said in a Dec. 21 press release.
According to the release, Kenworthy served on Grant County Superior Court 2 since 2010. During her time as a Grant County judge, Kenworthy founded the Grant County Family Recovery court which applied a problem-solving court model to help high risk families remain intact.
Prior to serving as a judge, Kenworthy worked as a Grant County prosecutor for 10 years where she focused on cases concerning child abuse, sexual assault, juvenile delinquency and domestic violence.
Kenworthy earned her bachelor’s degree from Ball State University and graduated from IU’s McKinney School of Law.
[Related: Doris Pryor to serve as first Black Judge from Indiana on Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals]
Kenworthy will replace Derek R. Molter following his appointment to the Indiana Supreme Court.
