11072010 - News Article - Judges will decide who will replace Tsoutsouris

Judges will decide who will replace Tsoutsouris
Post-Tribune (IN)
November 7, 2010
www.newsbank.com
At their monthly meeting on Monday, Porter County's six judges will decide how they'll select the next public defender.

Whatever process the judges choose will likely set a precedent, because the county has had only one head of the public defender's office since James V. Tsoutsouris was appointed in 1970.

Tsoutsouris died Sept. 29.

The judges set a Nov. 1 application deadline but haven't discussed how the new public defender ultimately would be chosen.

"We deferred that until all the applications came in," said Judge Roger Bradford, the judicial liaison for the public defender, but most possibilities --from a majority vote to interviewing each candidate -- remain open.

"We won't be sending white smoke up the chimney or anything," he said jokingly.

The judges agreed not to divulge who has applied, or even how many people applied, before making their selection.

Bradford confirmed that no one outside the area submitted an application.

"I think we're all familiar with all of the applicants," he said.

Bradford said he doesn't have a personal list of qualifications for a public defender.

"We don't expect whoever we hire to be Jim Tsoutsouris or do everything he did," he said.

Someone essentially starting an office and serving in it for 40 years as it grew from just him to a staff is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, Bradford acknowledged.

None of the current judges was seated when Tsoutsouris started. Bradford, who has been on the bench since 1980, has been a judge the longest.

That's also the longest a Porter County judge has served.

When Tsoutsouris established the office, there were only three courts in Porter County. The county courts were created in 1976.

The public defender the judges choose will be under contract with the county.

The county also has the option under state law of creating a public defend

er board.With that board, the state would reimburse the county for 40 percent of the costs of felony cases.

However, the county would have to hire about seven more assistant public defenders and their staff.

"With all the restrictions, it would cost more money," Bradford said.