HON. MICHAEL GERALD GOTSCH, SR. CURRICULUM VITAE Professional Address Hon. Michael G. Gotsch, Sr. Judge, St. Joseph Circuit Court 101 South Main Street, Suite 300 South Bend, IN 46601-1896 Telephone: 574-235-9551 E-mail: mgotsch@co.st-joseph.in.us Personal Information Date of Birth: October 5, 1957 (Chicago, Illinois). Married to Sarah Ann (Willey) Gotsch. Member, Sacred Heart Basilica Parish (Notre Dame). Education Legal: University of Notre Dame Law School, Indiana (1984-1987), Juris Doctor (1987). Graduate: St. John s University, New York (1979-1980), Graduate Studies. Undergraduate: University of Notre Dame, Indiana (1975-1979), Bachelor of Arts (1979). Preparatory: St. John s College High School, Washington, D.C. (1971-1975), Diploma (1975). Academic Honors: Dean s List, University of Notre Dame Law School. Jessup International Moot Court Team: Regional Semi-Finalist (1987). Army ROTC Scholar (1975-1979). Professional Experience Judge, St. Joseph Circuit Court, South Bend, Indiana (2004-present): Serves as trial judge for court of general jurisdiction. Responsible for more than 15,000 pending civil and criminal cases, with annual new filings of approximately 3,400 cases. Supervises two Magistrate Judges and immediate court staff, along with ancillary court services, including Adult Probation Department, Domestic Relations Counseling Bureau and Public Defenders Office, with a combined staff of more than 90 personnel and budgets in excess of $4.2 million. Appointment authority for Superior Court Judicial Nominating Committee, and St. Joseph County Parks Board, Solid Waste Management, Community Corrections and Public Defender Boards. Appointed by Governor: May 10, 2004. Took Judicial Oath: May 21, 2004. Elected to Six-year Term: November 2, 2004; Re-elected: November 2, 2010.
CURRICULUM VITAE PAGE 2 OF 10 Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney and Chief of Staff, St. Joseph County Prosecutor s Office, South Bend, Indiana (2002-2004): Served as chief operating officer and human resources director for public law office with more than 120 employees in five sites. Managed annual budget of more than $4.2 million. Developed and directed Family Crimes Division, consisting of more than 70 employees assigned to Family Violence and Special Victims Unit, Juvenile Crime Section, Adult Protective Services Section, and Child Support Division. Initiated and supervised successful grant application for Family Justice Center for the reduction of domestic violence in St. Joseph County. Legal Counsel, St. Joseph County Office of Family and Children, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration South Bend, Indiana (2000-2002): Represented State of Indiana in juvenile dependency actions and other child welfare proceedings. Successfully litigated more than 200 children in need of services (CHINS) cases and more than 40 termination of parental rights (TPR) actions, with a 100% success rate for TPR trials and appeals. Provided legal advice for OFC executives, supervisors and line staff as needed. Corporate Counsel, Meridian Title Corporation, South Bend, Indiana (1999-2000): Provided legal advice and assistance on real estate, contractual and human resources matters to production staff and ownership group, and prepared legal documents in support of real estate closings. Assisted with operational and logistical support of five branch offices providing title insurance, escrow closing and related services in Indiana and Michigan. Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, St. Joseph County Prosecutor s Office, South Bend, Indiana (1987-1998): Successfully prosecuted more than 200 felony cases and more than 25 jury trials. Represented State at post-conviction proceedings, as well as capital murder appeal. Drafted and filed appellate briefs in U.S. Supreme Court and Supreme Court of Indiana; presented oral argument before Supreme Court of Indiana. Director, Child Support Division (1988-1998): Directed high-volume child support division with annual budget of $1,250,000, and annual child support collections of more than $14,000,000 in 1998. Child Support Division received State Director s Award in 1995 and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Regional Director s Award in 1989 and 1998 for innovative and cost-effective child support enforcement. Executive Director, CASIE Center (1996-1998): Also directed child abuse advocacy center, which coordinated the prevention and prosecution of child abuse and neglect in St. Joseph County, Indiana. Programs include Kids Court, family support services, elementary school truancy prevention, teenage pregnancy prevention, and forensic interviews of child victims of physical and sexual abuse. Directly responsible to the Board of Directors for community relations, fund raising, and personnel and financial management of the Center. The Center was selected as a Governor s Exemplary Project.
CURRICULUM VITAE PAGE 3 OF 10 Military Experience Captain, Military Intelligence, United States Army, Fort Huachuca, Arizona (1983-1984): Planned and managed developmental testing of multi-million dollar intelligence electronic warfare equipment for U.S. Army research and development test center. Lieutenant, Military Intelligence, United States Army, Fort Richardson, Alaska (1981-1983): Directed intelligence production section; developed intelligence analyses for and presented briefings to Commanding General and visiting dignitaries. Military Awards: Meritorious Service Medal (1984), Army Commendation Medal (1983), Army Achievement Medal (1982). Bar Admissions State Bar of Indiana (1987). State Bar of Michigan (1992; inactive status). U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana (1987). U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana (1987). Professional and Community Honors Silver Beaver, LaSalle Council, Boy Scouts of America (2014). Man of the Year Award, YWCA of North Central Indiana (2013). Spirit of Giving Award, Family & Children s Center (2012). Soaring Eagle Award, LaSalle Council, Boy Scouts of America (2012). Outstanding Judge, Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (2010). Lifetime Achievement Award, Indiana Child Support Alliance (1999). Honorable Order of the Kentucky Colonel (1996). Distinguished Service Award, Indiana Department of Public Welfare (1991). Professional Organizations Judicial Conference of Indiana: Board of Directors (2009-present). Indiana Judges Association (2004-present). Indiana State Bar Association (1987-present). St. Joseph County Bar Association (1987-present): President (1999-2000); Board of Governors (1992-1997; 1999-present); Chair, Bench & Bar Committee (1989-1999); Chair, Law Day Program (1989-2005). Robert A. Grant Inn of Court (2004-present). National District Attorneys Association: Board of Directors (1995-1998); Co-Chair, Child Support Enforcement Committee.
CURRICULUM VITAE PAGE 4 OF 10 Board Appointments and Other Organizations Presidential Task Force on Criminal Child Support Enforcement (1996-1998). Supreme Court Committee on Evidence-based Pretrial Release (2013-present). Governor s Commission on Abused and Neglected Children (2004-2006). Governor s Committee on Indiana Support Enforcement Tracking System (1999-2000). Indiana General Assembly Child Custody and Support Advisory Committee (2004-2005). National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws: Official Observer, Uniform Parentage Act Drafting Committee (1997-1999). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Multi-Agency Task Force (1998). National Child Support Enforcement Association: Board of Directors (1996-1998). Eastern Regional Interstate Child Support Association: Board of Directors (1992-1996); Co-Chair, Policy & Legislation Committee. Indiana Child Support Alliance: Board of Directors (1991-1999); Past President. Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council: Title IV-D Liaison (1991-1998). Indiana Support Enforcement Tracking System (ISETS) Design Committee (1989-1999). Indiana Attorney General Consumer Protection Advisory Committee (1997-1998). Prevent Child Abuse, Indiana and St. Joseph County (2001-2006). Family and Children s Center: Board of Directors (2007-2010). St. Joseph County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team (2010-present). St. Joseph County Community Correction Advisory Board, Executive Committee (2003-present). LaSalle Council, Boy Scouts of America, Executive Board (2010-present); President (2012-2014). National Eagle Scout Association (1972-present). Professional Activities Graduate, Indiana Graduate Program for Judges (2008-2009). Graduate, Indiana Judicial College (2012). National Judicial Institute on Domestic Violence: Enhancing Judicial Skills in Domestic Violence Cases (2012) National Judicial College: Neuroscience for Judge (2009); Enhancing Judicial Bench Skills (2006). National College of District Attorneys: Executive Program in Prosecutorial Leadership (2003). Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government: Information Technology Leadership in the Public Sector (1996). Adjunct Faculty or Course Lecturer: University of Notre Dame Law School, St. Mary s College, Bethel College, Indiana University of South Bend. Faculty and Lecturer: U.S. Health and Human Services, National Child Support Enforcement Association; National District Attorneys Association, Eastern Regional Interstate Child Support Enforcement Association; Indiana Judges Association, Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council; Indiana Family and Social Services Administration; Indiana Child Support Alliance; Michigan Family Support Council; North Carolina Child Support Council; Ohio Child Support Director s Association; St. Joseph County Bar Association; Allen County Bar Association; Muncie Bar Association.
CURRICULUM VITAE PAGE 5 OF 10 Professional Activities (continued) Testimony: U.S. Senate Finance Committee; U.S. House of Representatives Ways & Means Committee; Indiana Senate Judiciary Committee; Indiana House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee; Indiana Child Custody and Support Advisory Committee. Amicus Curiae Brief: United States Supreme Court, Freestone v. Blessing; Supreme Court of Indiana, Pettit v. Pettit. Selected National, Regional, and Local Speeches Reflections on to Kill a Mockingbird and Beyond: the Legacy of Fugitive Slaves in South Bend Courts One Book, One Michiana, May 1, 2010. Merit-Retention of Judges: A Progressive Reform for Selecting Judges in Indiana, League of Women Voters of South Bend Area, March 13, 2009. Merit-Retention: A Progressive Reform that Works, South Bend Rotary Club, March 11, 2009. Brown v. Board of Education: Legacy of Change, Dyngus/Solidarity Day, American Legion, April, 2007. Reforming Child Support in our Lifetimes (Keynote Address), 1997 Spring Conference, Ohio Child Support Directors Association: March 17, 1997. Legal Strategies for Increased Child Support Collections (Keynote Address), 20th Annual Indiana Child Support Enforcement Conference, Indiana Child Support Alliance/ Indiana Family and Social Services Administration: June 4, 1996. Reinventing Child Support (Keynote Address), 11th Annual Child Support Conference, North Carolina Child Support Council: March 28, 1994. Professional Presentations and Lectures A View from the Bench: Ethics and Civility for New Attorneys, Local Practice Seminar, St. Joseph County Bar Association: June 2, 2014 Fast Track to Attorney Discipline and Disbarment, Local Practice Seminar, St. Joseph County Bar Association: November 14, 2013. The Impact of Family Violence on the Courts, Spring Judicial College, Judicial Conference of Indiana: April 17 18, 2013.
CURRICULUM VITAE PAGE 6 OF 10 Professional Presentations and Lectures (continued) Dynamics of Domestic Violence, New Judges Training, Judicial Conference of Indiana: January 31, 2013. How Family Violence Impacts You and Your Court, Regional Workshop, Indiana Judicial College, Judicial Conference of Indiana: October 26, 2012. Do No Harm: Avoiding Problems with Injunctions and Other Equitable Remedies, Local Practice Seminar, St. Joseph County Bar Association: November 10, 2011. Different Models for Consolidating Courts within a County, Winter Workshop, Indiana Judicial College, Judicial Conference of Indiana: December 10, 2010. Litigating Personal Injuries: Ethical Considerations and Traps, Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, May 21, 2010. Settling for Foreclosure? The Mortgage Foreclosure Settlement Conference, Spring Judicial College, Judicial Conference of Indiana: April 16, 2010. Applied Professionalism: Ethics for Lawyers, St. Joseph County Bar Association: May 19, 2010. Top Ethical Problems for Indiana Lawyers, Local Practice Seminar, Allen County Bar Association: February 19, 2010. Top Ten Ethical Problems for Indiana Lawyers, Local Practice Seminar, St. Joseph County Bar Association: November 12, 2009. Understanding Indiana s New Foreclosure Law, Annual Meeting, Indiana Judicial College, Judicial Conference of Indiana: September 17, 2009. The Changing Face of Mortgage Foreclosures, Spring Judicial College, Judicial Conference of Indiana: April 16 17, 2009. Motions for Summary Judgment: A Climb to the Summit, Robert A. Grant Inn of Court: March 18, 2009. Ethical Considerations in Civil Litigation, Indiana Trial Lawyers Association: March 6, 2009. Impressing the Court: Practice Tips from the Bench, New Lawyers Committee, St. Joseph County Bar Association: February 4, 2009. How to Lose a Judge in 10 Easy Steps, Robert A. Grant Inn of Court: May 15, 2008.
CURRICULUM VITAE PAGE 7 OF 10 Professional Presentations and Lectures (continued) Last Chance Ethics, St. Joseph County Bar Association, December 5, 2007. Ethical Dilemmas in Discovery, Robert A. Grant Inn of Court, November 14, 2007 Legal Ethics in Litigation, Local Practice Seminar, St. Joseph County Bar Association, November 8, 2007. Legal Ethics in Personal Injury Cases, How to Handle an Auto Case from A to Z, Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, March 9, 2007. Issues in Local Practice, Judges Panel, Robert A. Grant Inn of Court, March 7, 2007. Welcome to the New Local Rules, Local Practice Seminar, St. Joseph County Bar Association, November 10, 2005. Judges Panel: Our Local Practice, Robert A. Grant Inn of Court, September 8, 2005. Juvenile Justice Symposium, St. Joseph County Bar Association: May 27, 2004. What s New in Community Corrections (Moderator/Panelist), St. Joseph County Bar Association: May 20, 2004. From Here to Paternity, Local Practice Seminar, St. Joseph County Bar Association: Nov. 6, 2003. Indiana Juvenile Court Proceedings Related to Children in Need of Services, Lorman Education Services: August 23, 2002. Indiana Juvenile Dependency Proceedings, Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Training: April, 2002. Juvenile Court Proceedings, Memorial Hospital Residency Program Training: March, 2002. Indiana Juvenile Dependency Proceedings, Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Training: October, 2001. Interaction Between IV-D and IV-E Programs, 25 th Annual Child Support Enforcement Conference, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration: June 11, 2001. Indiana Juvenile Dependency Proceedings, Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Training: March, 2001. Indiana Juvenile Court Proceedings Related to Children in Need of Services, Lorman Education Services: February 14, 2001.
CURRICULUM VITAE PAGE 8 OF 10 Professional Presentations and Lectures (continued) Enforcement Against the Self-Employed, 47th Annual Conference & Exposition, National Child Support Enforcement Association: August 3, 1998. Family Law Update: New Child Support Guidelines (Moderator/Panelist), St. Joseph County Bar Association: July 21, 1998. County Best Practices, 22nd Annual Child Support Enforcement Conference, Indiana Child Support Alliance/Indiana Family and Social Services Administration: June 10, 1998. Proposed State and Federal Legislation, 22nd Annual Child Support Enforcement Conference, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration: June 9, 1998. Practical Ethical Considerations for IV-D Prosecutors, 22nd Annual Child Support Enforcement Conference, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration: June 9, 1998. Child Support Collections and Incentives, 22nd Annual Child Support Enforcement Conference, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration: June 8 & 10, 1998. Local Prosecution Initiatives in Child Support Enforcement, Child Support Enforcement Symposium for Law Enforcement Executives, Office of Child Support Enforcement, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: November 13, 1997. Locate, Locate, Locate, 46th Annual Conference & Exposition, National Child Support Enforcement Association: August 28, 1997. Best Practices in Interstate and Intrastate Cases, 21st Annual Child Support Enforcement Conference, Indiana Child Support Alliance/Indiana Family and Social Services Administration: June 13, 1997. Policy Decisions in Choosing Federal or State Criminal Prosecution, 21st Annual Child Support Enforcement Conference, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration: June 13, 1997. Focused on Change, Founded in Community: Watering the Grass Roots (Fatherhood Initiatives), 34th Annual Training Conference, Eastern Regional Interstate Child Support Enforcement Association: May 7, 1997. Special Delivery: How to Insure Successful Service of Process in Tough Cases, 34th Annual Training Conference, Eastern Regional Interstate Child Support Enforcement Association: May 5, 1997. Family Law Update: Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, St. Joseph County Bar Association: January 21, 1997.
CURRICULUM VITAE PAGE 9 OF 10 Professional Presentations and Lectures (continued) Self-Employed: Enforcement of Obligations Owed by Non-Traditional Wage Earners, 46th Annual Conference & Exposition, National Child Support Enforcement Association, August 28, 1996. Issues in Paternity Establishment, St. Joseph County Bar Association: June 11, 1996. County Best Practices, 20th Annual Child Support Enforcement Conference, Indiana Child Support Alliance/Indiana Family and Social Services Administration: June 5, 1996. Domestic Violence Detection, Prevention and Reaction, 20th Annual Child Support Enforcement Conference, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration: June 5, 1996. Family Law Update: Government Agencies Involved in Family Law Disputes, St. Joseph County Bar Association: December 6, 1995. Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, Regional Training Conference, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration: October 24, 1995. Prosecution of Welfare Fraud, Regional Training Conference, Office of the Indiana Attorney General: July 20, 1995. Medical Support Enforcement, 19th Annual Child Support Enforcement Conference, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration: June 21, 1995. Contempt, Seek-Work and Alternative Sentencing, Office of Child Support Enforcement, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: June 13, 1995. The Self-Employed Dilemma (Plenary Session), National Child Support Enforcement Association/Office of Child Support Enforcement, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: June 13, 1995. Title IV-D Child Support Program Primer for Prosecutors, 1994 Newly Elected and Appointed Prosecuting Attorneys Training Seminar, Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council: December 5, 1994. Enforcement Against the Self-Employed Obligor, 18th Annual Child Support Enforcement Conference, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration: October 21, 1994. Collecting from the Self-Employed, National Child Support Enforcement Training Workshop, Office of Child Support Enforcement, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: July 26, 1994. Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, 1994 IV-D Training Seminar, Indiana Child Support Alliance: July 8, 1994.
HON. MICHAEL GERALD GOTSCH, SR. AUGUST 1, 2013 CURRICULUM VITAE PAGE 10 OF 10 Professional Presentations and Lectures (continued) County Best Practices, 17th Annual Child Support Enforcement Conference, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration: September 8, 1993. Family Law Update: The Revised Indiana Child Support Guidelines, St. Joseph County Bar Association: December 29, 1992. Domestic Relations Law Update: The Revised Indiana Child Support Guidelines, Muncie Bar Association: December 15, 1992. Trial Rules 58 & 77, St. Joseph County Bar Association: January 23, 1991. Title IV-D Child Support Program Primer for Prosecutors, 1990 Newly Elected and Appointed Prosecuting Attorneys Training Seminar, Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council: December 12, 1990. An Overview of the Child Support Enforcement Program for Private Attorneys, St. Joseph County Bar Association: June 20, 1990. Interstate Enforcement, 15th Annual Child Support Enforcement Conference, Indiana Department of Public Welfare: May 11, 1990.