The crowd filled the courtroom and spilled out into the hall for the swearing-in Of Ryan Hatfield to his new position as Circuit Court Judge. The oath was administered by outgoing Judge David D. Kiely, who called Hatfield “a good person with a good heart” during the ceremony.
After the oath, Judge Hatfield said that he would “work to maintain the integrity of our courts, fostering an atmosphere where justice prevails, and the rule of law is upheld.”
Hatfield has served as the District 77 Representative in the State Legislature since 2016, and when Judge Kiely announced plans to retire, Hatfield saw a judgeship as an opportunity to spend more time at home with his young family.
As State Representative Hatfield served as the Assistant Minority Leader in the Indiana General Assembly as the ranking minority member of the Indiana House Judiciary and Employment, Labor and Pensions committees.
He was an attorney at Hatfield Law, representing criminal, family, divorce, and business law matters in state and federal courts. He also served as an adjunct faculty member at Ivy Tech Community College and as an instructor at the Southwest Indiana Law Enforcement Academy.
Prior to serving in the Indiana General Assembly and joining the law firm, Hatfield was a deputynprosecutor in Vanderburgh County, where he prosecuted homicides, sexual assaults and drug offenses. As a member of the Vanderburgh County Treatment Court, as well as the Veterans Court, he worked to transition drug-addicted offenders into rehabilitation and back into their community.
Hatfield’s wife, Kendra, is a nurse and supervisor at St. Vincent’s Evansville. They have three children and are active on local boards and committees.
