Kinsley named county's first magistrate

Jennifer K. Kinsley has been appointed Shelby County’s first magistrate by Judges Charles D. O’Connor, R. Kent Apsley and David N. Riggins. The magistrate position was recently approved by the state legislature to help with the workload of the Shelby County Courts. “The magistrate position becomes effective July 1, 2017, but we wanted to make the announcement as soon as possible so that Magistrate Kinsley would have time to transition smoothly.” said Superior Court I Judge R. Kent Apsley.

In Indiana, a magistrate has most, but not all of the powers of a regular judge. “You can think of a magistrate as ‘judge-lite,’" said Superior Court 2 Judge David N. Riggins. “Magistrate Kinsley will hear cases in all three courts. For example, Magistrate Kinsley may conduct pretrial conferences and accept guilty pleas in criminal cases in my court. She may hear and determine preliminary matters in divorce cases in Circuit, and she can issue protective orders in Superior Court 1.” A complete description of a magistrate’s authority can be found at Indiana Code 33-23-5-5. A magistrate’s salary is 80 percent of a regular judge’s salary and is paid by the State of Indiana. Magistrates work for, are appointed by, and may only be removed by judges.

Several individuals sought the position, but all three judges felt that Jennifer was the best fit for the position. “This was very difficult decision, as all of the applicants were well qualified,” said Circuit Court Judge Charles D. O’Connor. “However, I am certain that Magistrate Kinsley will quickly meet and even exceed our expectations.”

Magistrate Kinsley earned her B.S. in Education from Indiana University in 1991 and taught school for a period of time. She later returned to school and, with support from her husband, raised two young children while she obtained her Juris Doctorate degree from Indiana University in 1998. She served as a Morgan County Deputy Prosecutor from 1998 to 2001, Shelby County Deputy Prosecutor from 2001 to 2014, and was Shelby County Chief Deputy Prosecutor from 2014 to 2017. Magistrate Kinsley has extensive experience in the courtroom, handling everything from infractions and misdemeanors to major felonies and murders. She lives in Shelby County with her husband and enjoys regular visits from her grown children. She is active in her church and several community organizations, including Girls Inc., Tri-Kappa, and the Friends of the NRA.