December 24, 2020 at 4:13 a.m.
Ludy leaving bench
Superior Court judge looks back at 12 years
Ludy leaving bench
For the first time in 12 years, Jay Superior Court will have a new judge.
Judge Max Ludy has heard his last jury trial as superior court’s judge and will relinquish the bench next week to Judge-elect and longtime public defender Gail Dues.
Is he ready for retirement?
“Yes and no. I’ve worked for a long time,” said Ludy, 67, adding that part of him wants to continue to work but that he’s satisfied of his 43 combined years practicing law as an attorney and running Jay Superior Court.
“I have a lot of respect for Judge Ludy,” said Jay Circuit Court Judge Brian Hutchison. “He’s been helpful to me … and I hope I’ve been helpful to him.”
Ludy called his last year as judge “especially difficult” because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has caused nothing short of a scheduling fiasco with postponement of jury trials and social distancing requirements in his courtroom.
“I told (Dues) this is worst time in the world to become a judge,” Ludy said.
She’ll inherit a court that won’t be able to conduct a jury trial until at least March because of coronavirus restrictions from the Indiana Supreme Court.
Ludy chose not to conduct any jury trials in the midst of the pandemic prior to the Indiana Supreme Court order earlier this month. He said he’s fine with leaving the court when thinking about the risk of contracting COVID-19 while running Superior Court.
He reflected on when he became took over Superior Court after longtime Judge Joel Roberts retired in 2008, saying, “I just kind of fell into it” because there were so few options in Jay County to replace him.
Ludy ran unopposed in every election until Dues successfully challenged him in the Republican primary in June. She ran unopposed in the general election.
His biggest advice for Dues is to get ready to work a lot.
“It’s a seven-day-a-week job,” Ludy said.
He won’t go back to practicing law as an attorney but said he will serve as a special or senior judge if needed.
In retirement he said he plans to build furniture for his sons’ “empty houses.” Ludy is the only member of his family with a law degree.
Judge Max Ludy has heard his last jury trial as superior court’s judge and will relinquish the bench next week to Judge-elect and longtime public defender Gail Dues.
Is he ready for retirement?
“Yes and no. I’ve worked for a long time,” said Ludy, 67, adding that part of him wants to continue to work but that he’s satisfied of his 43 combined years practicing law as an attorney and running Jay Superior Court.
“I have a lot of respect for Judge Ludy,” said Jay Circuit Court Judge Brian Hutchison. “He’s been helpful to me … and I hope I’ve been helpful to him.”
Ludy called his last year as judge “especially difficult” because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has caused nothing short of a scheduling fiasco with postponement of jury trials and social distancing requirements in his courtroom.
“I told (Dues) this is worst time in the world to become a judge,” Ludy said.
She’ll inherit a court that won’t be able to conduct a jury trial until at least March because of coronavirus restrictions from the Indiana Supreme Court.
Ludy chose not to conduct any jury trials in the midst of the pandemic prior to the Indiana Supreme Court order earlier this month. He said he’s fine with leaving the court when thinking about the risk of contracting COVID-19 while running Superior Court.
He reflected on when he became took over Superior Court after longtime Judge Joel Roberts retired in 2008, saying, “I just kind of fell into it” because there were so few options in Jay County to replace him.
Ludy ran unopposed in every election until Dues successfully challenged him in the Republican primary in June. She ran unopposed in the general election.
His biggest advice for Dues is to get ready to work a lot.
“It’s a seven-day-a-week job,” Ludy said.
He won’t go back to practicing law as an attorney but said he will serve as a special or senior judge if needed.
In retirement he said he plans to build furniture for his sons’ “empty houses.” Ludy is the only member of his family with a law degree.
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