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A special judge has been appointed in the cases against five people accused of attempting to kill Tippecanoe County Superior Court Judge Steven Meyer on Jan. 18.
Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush signed an order Monday appointing Cass County Superior Court 2 Judge Lisa Swaim to the case.
Swaim was appointed to the trial court bench by former Gov. Eric Holcomb in 2019, succeeding the late Judge Richard A. Maughmer. She previously served as Cass County prosecutor and as a deputy prosecutor in Marion County.
Swaim is expected to issue a decorum order for media, outlining expectations for those in attendance for the case–including guidelines for cameras in the courtroom.
In Tippecanoe Superior Court 2, over which Judge Meyer presides, Senior Judge John D. Potter of Jasper County has been appointed as a senior/pro tempore judge. His appointment is effective Tuesday.
On Friday, the Lafayette Police Department announced that five people were arrested in connection with the shooting of Meyer and his wife at their home on Jan. 18, three of whom face attempted murder charges.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the man accused of shooting Meyer–Raylen Ferguson, 38, of Lexington, Kentucky– was closely tied to a high-ranking gang member who was scheduled to stand trial before Meyer two days after the shooting.
Investigators allege Ferguson acted in concert with Thomas Moss, a Lafayette man whose felony case was pending in Tippecanoe Superior Court 2—the court over which Meyer presides.
Court records show Moss was set to face a jury trial on charges of intimidation, criminal recklessness and domestic battery. Judge Meyer issued an order summoning 55 potential jurors for that trial. Moss later moved to continue the case, but Meyer denied that request on Jan. 7, 2026—11 days before the shooting.
Reporter Cameron Shaw contributed.
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