Braun appoints 3 former deputy prosecuting attorneys to fill judicial vacancies

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun announced Tuesday that he has filled judicial vacancies in Howard and Tippecanoe counties and in West Lafayette.

The appointees are Joshua McMahan, who will preside over Howard Superior Court 1, Kevin McDaniel, in Tippecanoe Superior Court 1, and Elliott McKinnis, in West Lafayette City Court.

“These appointments reflect a strong commitment to experience, fairness, and the rule of law,” Braun said in a written statement. “Each appointee brings a deep understanding of the courtroom and a clear dedication to public service, and I am confident they will serve their communities with integrity.”

McMahan takes the robes after the Indiana Supreme Court permanently banned former Howard Superior Court Judge Matthew Elkin last fall. The high court’s disciplinary commission found that he had repeatedly and improperly presided over cases involving clients he had previously represented.

Before being appointed, McMahan served as a deputy prosecuting attorney in the Howard County Major Felony Division, where he handled numerous major felony jury trials, according to the governor’s announcement. For 13 years, he has been a partner of Kokomo-based Butcher, Ball, Lowry, McMahan & McClelland.

McDaniel will fill the vacancy left by Randy Williams, who retired from Superior Court 1 at the beginning of this year, the Lafayette Courier & Journal reported. According to Braun’s announcement, McDaniel has tried about 70 jury trials over his 15 years as a deputy prosecuting attorney in Tippecanoe and Vanderburgh counties.

McKinnis, currently a senior attorney at Cook Research, fills the position left by the late West Lafayette City Court Judge Lori Sabol, who died last spring.

McKinnis previously served as a deputy prosecuting attorney for the Tippecanoe County Prosecutor’s Office and as a deputy public defender for the Tippecanoe County Public Defender’s Office, according to Tuesday’s announcement.