Staff

Noah Schafer is in his twentieth year of prosecution. After graduating from Purdue University with degrees in business and English literature in 1998 and IU School of Law in 2001, Schafer turned down several opportunities with private firms to pursue his desire to prosecute. Starting in the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, Schafer worked first in domestic violence courts, handling cases of spousal and child abuse. From there, he was promoted first to felony drug cases, then general major felony work, and finally was named to be part of the first MCPO Homicide Division created in 2005. Schafer has personally tried more than two dozen murder cases to juries and has extensive jury trial experience in other crimes ranging from marijuana possession and carjacking to child molesting, robbery, burglary, and felony murder. For ten years as a Chief Deputy Prosecutor and now as an elected prosecutor, he views prosecution as a calling and strives to bring his experience and passion for the job into the office and the courtroom. He lives in Logansport with his wife and four children.

Tom Lupke graduated from the Indiana University—Indianapolis Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 2002 and began his career in prosecution with the domestic violence unit in Marion County. In 2005 he was promoted to the major felony narcotics/gangs/firearms unit where he filled a variety of positions, including prosecutor liaison to numerous law enforcement units as well as director of the Metro Drug Task Force. Lupke later served as the designated wiretap prosecutor for Marion County, as well as an assistant supervisor over both felony screening and firearms attorneys. He was eventually appointed to serve as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, with a caseload focused on felons with firearms. Lupke has served as an instructor for both prosecutors and law enforcement officers and as an adjunct instructor for Indiana Tech in Indianapolis in its criminal justice program. Before being appointed Chief Deputy Prosecutor, Tom Lupke has most recently served the Cass County Prosecutor’s Office as a major felony prosecutor with a focus on the areas of domestic violence and drug trafficking. He has also been program director for the office’s grant programs related to stopping domestic violence, including the office’s support of the Cass County Domestic Violence Task and the Act Out programs in local schools. Lupke and his family reside in Logansport.

Lisa Kempf joined the Cass County Prosecutor’s Office as an experienced litigator, having previously served as a prosecutor in Morgan and Lawrence counties. She graduated from Southern Illinois University School of Law in 2018. Ms. Kempf began her career prosecuting all levels of crimes from misdemeanors to level one felonies and has experience litigating murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery, intimidation with a deadly weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, rape, child molestation, theft, and possession of methamphetamine and has been an advocate for victims of domestic violence and sex crimes in the state of Indiana. Lisa Kempf has three children, two daughters in college and a son in middle school. She is an avid animal lover and has two dogs.  Kempf will be prosecuting major felony drug and domestic cases.

Craig Jones grew up in Cass County and graduated from Logansport High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Purdue University before obtaining his Juris Doctorate from the University of Wyoming. Craig remained in Wyoming, where he served as a prosecutor for 16 years. His primary areas of prosecution involved serious violent crimes and complex litigation, including fraud and white-collar crimes, arson and explosives cases. He is death-penalty trained and brings extensive trial experience to his work. Craig was later appointed to the bench by Wyoming Governor Matt Mead and served as a Circuit Court Judge for 13 years.

During his judicial career, he presided over both criminal matters and civil matters, including evictions, protective orders, and other complex litigation. In addition to his legal and judicial experience, Craig has dedicated significant time to legal education and professional training. For approximately eight years, he served as an adjunct faculty member at the National Advocacy Center, a federal training institution for prosecutors. He was also a POST-certified instructor for the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy and taught criminal law and criminal procedure at Sheridan College and Laramie County Community College in Wyoming. Craig’s extensive background as a prosecutor, trial judge, instructor, and legal educator reflects a career dedicated to public service, advocacy, and the administration of justice. Craig and his wife live in Logansport.