Applications for the upcoming vacancy on the Indiana Tax Court are due September 20, 2010, Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard announced today.

On August 12th, Judge Thomas G. Fisher announced he would step down from the Tax Court on January 1, 2011, creating an opening on the single-member appellate court.  The Indiana Tax Court was established in 1986 by the Indiana General Assembly.  It operates year-round.  Judge Fisher is Indiana’s first and only Tax Court Judge.

The seven-member Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission will search for Judge Fisher’s successor.  The Nominating Commission recently launched a search and interviewed candidates to replace Indiana Supreme Court Justice Theodore Boehm.  The Commission is chaired by Indiana Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard.  It includes three lawyers elected by their peers and three citizen members appointed by the Governor.

The Commission will conduct initial public interviews of qualified candidates on September 27th in Indianapolis, followed by second interviews on October 27th in Indianapolis.  After the interviews and deliberations, the Commission will send the three most qualified names to Governor Mitch Daniels.  The Governor will select Indiana's next Tax Court Judge. 

For more information about the Indiana Tax Court, visit courts.in.gov/tax and for more information on the Judicial Nominating Commission visit courts.in.gov/jud-qual/.