NAACP hosts judicial forum for Circuit Court 2 candidates

Muncie’s restaurant Legacy Village opened its doors to judicial candidates Kim Dowling (D) and Andrew Ramirez (R) to provide a space for community members to learn about the candidates in a forum organized by Muncie’s National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

NAACP collaborated with Forward Visions, Muncie Black Expo, Prime Roses of Renaissance and Muncie-Delaware County Black Chamber of Commerce to organize the public forum to meet Circuit Court 2 candidates for their Project 50 program.

The goal of the forum, and Project 50, is to educate voters about candidates and help people register to vote.

In the forum, the candidates were asked seven questions, which they knew ahead of time, by NAACP’s Youth Council and were given two minutes to respond.

Topics discussed were crime rates, the Juvenile Detention Alternatives (JDAI) with juvenile justice reform and the Judicial Users Manufacturing Partnership (JUMP) Program with employment for felony convicted individuals.

Kim Dowling – Democrat

Dowling, the incumbent, explained she was qualified for the position due to her practicing law for 27 years before being elected as the Circuit Court 2 judge in 2012.

She serves as the vice president of the Indiana Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, is a board member of the Indiana Judges Association, a member of the Indiana Judicial Center Jury Committee, the Indiana Language Access Advisory Committee and many other judicial organizations.

She also brought up the Indiana Supreme Court appointing her as the chair of the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Committee run through the Indiana Commission.

Discussing her accomplishments with what she’s done in her 12 years as the Circuit Court 2 judge, Dowling discussed her work in helping self-represented litigants by starting a self-help center in the courthouse, which was started by a grant.

She also discussed her impact on juveniles and the effectiveness of JDAI, a program Ramirez has concerns about.

“We’re not soft on juveniles, and I take offense saying that our juvenile probation department doesn’t do what they’re supposed to do,” Dowling said.

When it comes to juvenile law, Dowling said by law, judges focus on rehabilitation and going through every opportunity before serious action is taken.

“When we take steps, we’re looking at the trauma in their life,” she said. “Most often, our juvenile probation officers are treating the families. They’re treating their parents because these parents have left these kids high and dry, and so the kids that we see are not necessarily the kids that you guys see every day.”

Dowling said JDAI has a 93 percent success rate with over 4,000 youth set on alternative paths who don’t re-offend and show up to court dates.

She also spoke on why delinquency petitions filed by the prosecutor’s office weren’t approved. Dowling said the petitions were filed against one 7-year-old, three 8-year-olds, one 9-year-old, seven 10-year-olds, four 11-year-olds and three 12-year-olds, and they were dismissed due to age, a factor the court considers.

“When I started on the bench, over 80 percent of the kids in detention were there for what would be a misdemeanor,” Dowling said. “I don’t put adults in jail for misdemeanors. Why am I going to put a kid in jail for a misdemeanor? And I don’t want low-risk kids in with the high-risk kids, so yes, I will continue to work on JDAI.”

Another program Dowling has been involved in that focuses on community youth is the Credible Messengers program, a new program developed with the Muncie Youth Alliance that will hire people with lived experience to do street outreach

Dowling would like to help improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the system by having hard conversations.

When it comes to the JDAI program or the DEI programs, she wants to see the prosecutor’s office and law enforcement at the table to discuss solutions.

Dowling said JDAI has brought in grant funds and provided funds to black-owned businesses that serve children.

She also discussed the disproportionate minority contact in the justice system. She cited the Youth and the Juvenile Justice System 2022 National Report, stating in 2019 Black youth made up 15 percent of the juvenile (ages 10-17) population but 35 percent of the delinquency caseload.

She added the differing detained population of Black youth being 46 percent and white youth being 26 percent.

“This is not okay,” she said. “We have disproportionate minority contact with the system. We’re no different than the nation, and that’s what my team is committed to working on.”

Another point of contention between Dowling and Ramirez is the crime rate in Delaware County. Dowling said crime has gone down.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Crime Data Explorer (CDE), looking at violent and property crimes reported to the Muncie Police Department and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department from 2000 to 2022 there was a sharp increase that is steadily decreasing.

In 2000, there were 860 crimes reported compared to 3,447 in 2001 and 2,412 in 2022.

Another main topic discussed was felony-convicted individuals struggling to find employment and the JUMP Program, which helps people with felony records find jobs.

Dowling recognized JUMP has had a few setbacks, such as a change in leadership, but she recognized the probation program to be an important tool for the community. She wants the program to continue working with employers and wants to see it succeed.

Andrew Ramirez – Republican 

Ramirez, currently a Trial Deputy at the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office, brings over a decade of legal experience and community involvement to his candidacy for Delaware Circuit Court 2.

Originally from Lake County, Ramirez chose to make Muncie his home after passing the bar exam, where he has spent his entire 10-year legal career. Over this time, he has had active participation in the Country Village Neighborhood Association, the American Legion Post 19, and the Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, where he takes part in community events like holiday celebrations.

His professional connections extend to local law enforcement, serving as a liaison with the Daleville Police Department and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office.

Ramirez’s journey to the legal profession was shaped by his own life experiences. Reflecting on his upbringing, he said, “I’ve had some difficult circumstances in my life … my father chose not to really be a part of much of my life, single mother struggling with income and education. Luckily for me, I was able to kind of escape an environment like that.”

This background, he believes, gives him the “ability to see all perspectives” and a better understanding of the challenges many face, enhancing his ability to represent a broad range of individuals.

“That life experience aids me … to deal with, interact with, and work with everybody,” he said.

As a trial deputy, Ramirez handles some high-profile cases, including murder and drug-related deaths. He points to this experience as one of his core strengths in his qualifications for the judgeship, emphasizing that this legal expertise would make him well-suited for the position.

“I’m a level-headed, reasonable person,” he said. “Qualities that will aid me when I take the bench would be my integrity, my commitment, but most importantly, my experience.”

One of Ramirez’s central campaign platforms is reforming the juvenile justice system, particularly in how the county holds juveniles accountable.

As Delaware Circuit Court 2 holds jurisdiction over the juvenile court, Ramirez sees this area as crucial for change.

He expressed concern over the current state of the system, stating, “The largest reform that I think we need to see… is with our juveniles.”

Ramirez believes that accountability and responsibility are key to reforming juvenile justice, but he distinguished this from disciplinary measures.

“Accountability and responsibility aren’t synonymous with punishment,” he said, emphasizing that reform efforts should ensure that young offenders take responsibility for their actions.

Ramirez’s commitment to justice extends to ensuring fairness in all of his legal decisions. He firmly believes that factors like race, gender, identity, income and education should never influence judicial outcomes.

“Justice is blind,” he said. “Although I can work with everybody, and I do work with everybody on a daily basis, those experiences I’ve talked about, both professionally and personally, have instilled in me that race, gender, identity, income, and education will never play a factor in any decision making that I do.”

Community Concerns

An audience member asked what would change if people released on bond continued to commit new crimes.

“Bond revocations depend on each specific case and are decided by the facts and law,” Ramirez said. “Judges don’t handle bond revocation petitions; that job belongs to the prosecutor.”

Candidate Dowling discussed programs that monitor people on bond, including GPS tracking and treatment programs.

“If someone repeatedly breaks the rules or commits new crimes, their bond might be automatically revoked,” she said.

When asked about changing sentences for nonviolent drug offenders, Dowling supported offering treatment to address substance abuse.

“Effective treatment is crucial and I am open to modifying sentences for those who show they have rehabilitated,” she said.

Ramirez agreed each case should be reviewed individually.

“People who complete rehab programs in prison can receive reduced sentences, and each case should be reviewed fairly,” he said.

On expungement, Ramirez explained, “Certain felonies can be expunged based on the type of crime and legal requirements.”

Dowling mentioned the JUMP  Program. She also highlighted the importance of community programs and the role of mentors.

“Community programs and mentors play a crucial role in providing job opportunities for youth,” she said.

Sarah Vitale, Chair of Muncie Resists, asked about the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI).

“JDAI programs aim to prevent youth incarceration, which seems like a good idea for our county,” she said.

Ramirez responded that while he supports JDAI’s goals, he believes its implementation has been “ineffective” in reducing crime.

Dowling defended JDAI, citing a “93% success rate” for youth who participated in its programs without reoffending. She also addressed racial disparities in the justice system and ongoing efforts to improve fairness.

Both candidates shared their plans for community involvement if elected. Dowling plans to continue her work against human trafficking and her volunteer efforts. Ramirez wants to focus on “using existing programs effectively and holding people accountable to benefit the community.”

The debate highlighted the candidates’ positions on these important issues and their commitment to improving the criminal justice system in Muncie.

Contact Meghan Braddy via email at meghan.braddy@bsu.eduor on X @meghan_braddy and Hannah Amos via email at hannah.amos@bsu.edu or on X @Hannah_Amos_394.