(Michigan City, IN) - Richard R. Stalbrink Jr. is seeking a fourth term as Judge of LaPorte Superior Court 2.
Superior Court No. 2 handles general civil and plenary cases, divorces, protective orders, paternity cases and all of the criminal cases that occur within the prisons in LaPorte County.
In addition to his regular case load, he currently serves on the Indiana Supreme Court Innovation Committee working to make recommendations to the Indiana Supreme Court for best practices surrounding Indiana’s judicial system structures and procedures.
Stalbrink has previously served on the Indiana Judicial Domestic Relations Committee, which reviews and revises the Indiana parenting time and child support guidelines. He is a past chair of the Indiana Judicial Strategic Planning Committee, which studies and guides the long-term improvement of Indiana’s judicial system.
In 2020, Stalbrink was selected by Loretta Rush, Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, to serve on a task force during the COVID-19 pandemic to help formulate a plan to keep Indiana Court’s open and operating for the public during that time.
Stalbrink has also presided over LaPorte County’s Re-Entry Court since 2015. Re-Entry is a problem-solving court designed to work with offenders released from long-term prison sentences to assist in their re-entry into society while holding them accountable.
Stalbrink graduated from LaCrosse High School in 1986, received his Bachelor of Science Degree from Ball State University in 1990 and his Juris Doctorate Degree from Valparaiso University in 1993.
Stalbrink is a former deputy prosecutor in LaPorte County who maintained a private law practice in Michigan City before appointed as a juvenile court magistrate in LaPorte Circuit Court in 2007.
Currently, he also serves on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Club of LaPorte County, the LaPorte County Agricultural Association, the Fair Board Management and Events Corporation and the Purdue Extension Board. He is a past president of the LaPorte County Chapter of the American Red Cross; past president of the 4-H Horse and Pony Committee and former senior leader of the LaPorte County 4-H Horse and Pony Club.
“Over the years, I have been fortunate to be a part of a lot of changes and improvements in the judicial system. I still love what I do every day as a judge and I would be honored for the opportunity to continue serving the citizens of LaPorte County as Judge of LaPorte Superior Court No. 2,” he said.
Stalbrink, a democrat, is unopposed for the party’s nomination in the May primary.
