MAGISTRATE MOLLY BRILES ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR VANDERBURGH CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE

 Vanderburgh Superior Court Magistrate Molly E. Briles has announced her candidacy for Vanderburgh Circuit Court Judge. Currently, Magistrate Briles presides over civil, criminal, and family law matters and serves as a judicial officer with Vanderburgh County’s adult treatment court. 

Magistrate Briles says of her candidacy: “I am thrilled to announce my candidacy for Vanderburgh Circuit Court Judge. Serving as a Vanderburgh Superior Court Magistrate for the last four years, I have gained invaluable experience as a judicial officer in Vanderburgh County’s highest volume courts. I have dedicated my professional life to improving the justice system, and I plan to continue those efforts if elected. I am dedicated to working with all community stakeholders to ensure a transparent, impartial, and just legal system for Vanderburgh County. The citizens of Vanderburgh County deserve that and more. I hope you will consider supporting me for Vanderburgh Circuit Court Judge.” 

During her tenure, the Indiana Supreme Court has appointed Magistrate Briles to serve on various committees to improve the court system. She is currently serving her second term with the Indiana Innovation Initiative, a committee created by the Indiana Supreme Court to develop and implement innovative solutions to challenges faced by those who interact with the court system. Magistrate Briles was recently appointed to Indiana’s delegation to the National Courts and Sciences Institute to evaluate the use of artificial intelligence in the legal system. She also serves on the Indiana Supreme Court’s Domestic Relations Benchbook Committee. 

Magistrate Briles is an active member of the Evansville Bar Association (EBA) and currently serves as the chair of the EBA’s Bench and Bar Committee. She is a past chair of the EBA’s Family Law Section and a past co-chair of the EBA’s Access to Justice Committee. Magistrate Briles previously served on the EBA’s Taskforce on Racial Equality, Equity, and Inclusion. Magistrate Briles currently serves as a board member of the Evansville Bar Foundation and the Vanderburgh Law Library Foundation and was a past President of the Parenting Time Center board of directors. 

Magistrate Briles was a judicial law clerk for the Honorable John G. Baker of the Indiana Court of Appeals and was in private practice with Ziemer, Stayman, Weitzel & Shoulders, LLP where she focused on family law, civil litigation, appellate law, and mediation. She also served as a deputy city attorney, providing guidance and counsel to various local government departments. 

For the majority of her time in private practice, Magistrate Briles also administered a pro bono program recruiting local attorneys to provide free representation to alleged victims of domestic violence in protective order hearings. This program provided invaluable support to some of our community’s most vulnerable citizens at a crucial high-risk point in time. She was honored for these efforts with the Indiana Bar Foundation’s Pro Bono Publico Award and the EBA’s Susan B. Helfrich Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Service. 

Magistrate Briles graduated from USI, where she was a student-athlete on the Track & Field team. Magistrate Briles met her husband, Evansville native and Harrison High School graduate Arrick Briles, while they both attended USI. They have two children together. 

If elected, Magistrate Briles would be the first female Circuit Court Judge in Vanderburgh County history and only the second elected female Judge in Vanderburgh County history. She will be officially filing her declaration of candidacy in Indianapolis on Wednesday. 

Campaign donations may be sent to the Magistrate Molly Briles for Judge Committee c/o Jean Blanton at One Main Street, Suite 201, Evansville, Indiana 47708. Questions may be directed to campaign chairperson Jean M. Blanton at (812) 483-7583, campaign treasurer Dan Carwile at (812) 204-2385, or via email to mollybrilesforjudge@gmail.com.