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Friday, July 20, 2007
Ind. Courts - "Van Bokkelen to be sworn in as federal judge"
Joe Carlson of the NWI Times reports:
Joseph Van Bokkelen can officially don his judicial black robe for the first time this afternoon.The outgoing U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Indiana is scheduled to be sworn in as the region's newest judge today in a ceremony in South Bend.
U.S. attorney's office spokeswoman Mary Hatton said District Chief Judge Robert Miller will administer the oath of office to Van Bokkelen.
Deputy U.S. Attorney David Capp is expected to step in for Van Bokkelen as the region's top federal prosecutor -- the third time in his career Capp will have become the acting U.S. attorney in Hammond. * * *
As judge, Van Bokkelen has said he will recuse himself from any criminal cases that are already under way in the U.S. attorney's office, including any that FBI agents have even casually discussed with prosecutors up to today.
Van Bokkelen takes the place of District Judge Rudy Lozano, who is moving into a semi-retirement called "senior status" that allows judges to gradually decrease their caseloads as they age.
The district court's Hammond Division will then have two senior judges, Lozano and James Moody, both of whom will still maintain full caseloads.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on July 20, 2007 08:34 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts