IN THE

SUPREME COURT OF INDIANA

IN THE MATTER OF                            )

)

THE APPOINTMENT OF                      )

)

HUGO SONGER AS                              ) Case No.  63S00-0407-MS-326

)

SENIOR JUDGE IN THE                       )

)

PIKE CIRCUIT COURT                        )

ORDER APPOINTING SENIOR JUDGE

The Judge of the Pike Circuit Court has requested the appointment of Senior Judge Hugo Songer for service in that court, pursuant to Ind.Code §33-4-8-1, in light of the regular presiding judge’s activation to military duty.   We find that, due to these extraordinary circumstances and in the interests of the orderly administration of justice, Senior Judge Songer should be appointed to serve in the Pike Circuit Court for an unlimited number of days during this appointment period, subject to the statutory limit of days a senior judge may serve.

            IT IS, THEREFORE, ORDERED that Senior Judge Hugo Songer is appointed to serve in the Pike Circuit Court at the discretion of the requesting judge, effective July 12, 2004.  This appointment shall remain in effect until further order of this Court.  Pursuant to Ind. Code §33-4-8-5, Senior Judge Songer may not be compensated as senior judge for more than one hundred (100) days in the aggregate during the 2004 calendar year.

The Clerk of this Court is directed to forward a certified copy of this order to the Hon. Lee Baker, Judge of the Pike Circuit Court; to the Hon. Michael Chestnut; to the Hon. Hugo Songer; to the clerk of the Pike Circuit Court for entry in the Record of Judgments and Orders; to the Indiana Judicial Center; and to the Division of State Court Administration, Payroll Section.

DONE at Indianapolis, Indiana this 23^rd day of July, 2004.

_______________________

Randall T. Shepard

Chief Justice of Indiana