Attorneys in Muncie and Pendleton are among those applying to fill a vacancy on the Indiana Supreme Court.

Ralph and Kim Dowling

The state Judicial Nominating Commission says 21 people will be interviewed to replace retiring Justice Robert Rucker on the bench.  Ralph Dowling leads Dowling Law Office on Mulberry Street in Muncie.  He’s been a member of the Indiana bar since 1994.  Dowling’s wife Kim is a Delaware County Circuit Court judge.

Also on the list is Pendleton lawyer Bryce Owens.  This is his second attempt in two years for a spot on the court.  He applied to replace Justice Brent Dickson in 2016.  The list of applicants includes eight sitting judges, 13 attorneys, and one state representative – Republican Thomas Washburne of Evansville.

In Indiana, interviews for potential state Supreme Court justices are open to the public and held at the Statehouse.  Dowling and Owens will be interviewed in late March.  If they make the round of finalists, they’ll be interviewed again in mid-April.  Rucker has said he will retire sometime this spring after 26 years on the bench.