Head leaving Indiana Senate, becoming deputy prosecutor

IL FOR www.theindianalawyer,com

State Sen. Randy Head is stepping down from his elected position to become a northern Indiana prosecutor, the Logansport Republican announced Monday.

Head, who was elected to the Indiana Senate in 2008, will leave his post Aug. 12 and will become the chief deputy prosecutor of Pulaski County.

“First and foremost, I want to say that I am grateful to the people of Senate District 18 for putting their faith in me and allowing me to represent them at the Statehouse over the years,” Head said in a statement. “I have worked on a lot of different issues during my service, authoring more than 70 bills that became law, but now it’s time for me to step away from the Statehouse in order to pursue a new public service opportunity as the chief deputy prosecutor for Pulaski County.

“I appreciate all that I have learned and been a part of thanks to the leadership of our caucus,” he continued. “It has truly been an honor to serve the people of Indiana.”

Head’s district includes Cass, Fulton and Miami counties and parts of Carroll, Kosciusko and Marshall counties. He’s the current chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and has previously chaired the Local Government and Civil Law committees.

Among the issues Head has worked on are legislation to increase penalties for child abusers and creators/distributors of child pornography, a 2016 bill giving pharmacists discretion to deny sales of pseudoephedrine products for suspected meth making, and a 2019 bill to increase penalties for ignoring school bus laws.

Also in 2019, Head authored SEA 516, a measure that aligns Indiana’s definition of hemp with federal guidelines, making it an agricultural crop.  And in 2017, the Republican led legislation to overhaul Indiana’s vaping rules.

“Randy’s practical knowledge and experience in the courtroom have made him a tremendous asset to our team as we have worked to improve our criminal justice system, but this impact on the state of Indiana goes far beyond the improvements he made to Indiana’s criminal laws,” Senate President Pro Tem Rod Bray, R-Martinsville, said in a statement. “His ability to articulate a concise, coherent message combined with his work ethic and eye for detail allowed him to positively impact many areas of the state’s business.

“Beyond his practical knowledge, everyone who knows Randy knows, though he’s never one to be short on a joke, he is passionate about the people of Indiana and making our state a better place for Hoosiers to call home,” Bray continued. “We will miss Sen. Head’s leadership, service and friendship, but we certainly wish him the best in his new endeavor.”

In 2016, the senator sought the Republican nomination for Indiana Attorney General, which ultimately went to current AG Curtis Hill.

Head has been admitted to the practice of law in Indiana since October 1994 and has never been the subject of a disciplinary action. He is listed as an attorney with the Tribbett Law Office in Logansport.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from Wabash College in 1991 and his law degree from Indiana University in 1994.