Profile of Retired Superior Court Judge Robert “Jeff” Tornatta

Profile of Retired Superior Court Judge Robert “Jeff” Tornatta

After 22 years as a Vanderburgh County Superior Court Judge Robert Jeff Tornatta retired on April 3, 2020, because of health reasons.

In April Governor Eric Holcomb will appoint a replacement for Judge Tornatta. Judge Tornatta’s replacement will complete serving his term through Dec. 31, 2024.

Earlier in his life, most who knew him would have assumed that Robert “Jeff” Tornatta would be taking over and running his family’s business, Warrick Beverage.

Understanding Tornatta’s desire to serve the public his father Robert, a retired Evansville Police officer, encouraged and supported Tornatta’s decision to pursue a career in law. Robert enrolled in Indiana University in 1977. After receiving his undergraduate degree from IU in 1982, Tornatta entered Indiana University’s School of Law in Bloomington, graduating in 1985 with honors. Tornatta wasted no time putting his degree to work and in 1986 he became the law clerk for, then, U.S District Judge Gene Brooks.

In 1988 Judge Tornatta began working with the Trimble & Jewel law firm and did so until he joined Phil Hayes, former 8th District Congressman, to practice law in 1990. Tornatta took the place of Richard Young who had been appointed as a circuit court judge, replacing William H. Miller. Young was later appointed by President Bill Clinton to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana in 1997.

Tornatta did not particularly care for private practice, “he confessed with a smile, as most of his clients did not pay him nor did most follow his legal advice”. Fortunately for Tornatta, he was appointed administrator to the Superior Court by the seven Superior Court judges in 1991. While serving as administrator Tornatta was able to work in the different offices of all seven Superior Court judges, giving him an excellent opportunity to learn from and pick up qualities of the judges he worked under.

Tornatta recognizes Judge Lockyear as having the largest impact on him personally, professionally and as a mentor. He did pick up traits from the other Judges as well. From Judge Dietsch, he was able to see just how a judge’s temperament should be. He gets his organizational skills from Judge Bowers, and his thorough, conscientious approach to the law was honed by Judge Knight. He continued to serve as administrator until 1995 when he was appointed as one of the court’s magistrates.

In 1997 Judge Thomas Lockyear resigned after 12 years of service, closing a door in his career and opening one for Tornatta’s. Governor at the time Frank O’Bannon had a tough decision to make. Among twelve other local attorneys who had submitted their names to O’Bannon for consideration, Tornatta finished a close second in the Evansville Bar Association rankings for the job. Two-hundred thirty attorneys filled out a survey ranking each applicant in fields such as legal experience, legal knowledge, judicial temperament, the ability to understand and apply legal principles, industry, and efficiency, and the ability to be impartial and objective. Tornatta finished second to only, now a highly respected judge, Wayne Trockman. With a jest filled smile, Tornatta said, “Everybody recognizes Judge Trockman for his work in the Drug Court, but little recognize him for probably his most notable accomplishment in the Superior Court; an ice machine he had installed after he was appointed judge.”

With high scores reflected in his ability to be impartial and objective, judicial temperament, legal knowledge, and experience, Evansville was fortunate enough to have O’Bannon officially name Tornatta to be Judge Lockyear’s replacement on the bench on the 11th of December, 1997 at the ripe age of 38. I use the term “fortunate” because of the values and integrity that Tornatta possesses and calls upon when making decisions that affect many lives every day.

Tornatta is married to the love of his life, Sharon, whom he met while she was a legal secretary for Lopp, Lopp & Grampp. They have three children; Scott and daughters Molly and Katie.

Tornatta approaches his responsibilities as a Judge much as he approaches life, doing unto others as he would have done unto him. A very humble man, Tornatta admitted: “Without our riding bailiffs, bailiffs, and court reporters the court system itself would be dysfunctional, they are the backbone.”

Ask anyone to critique Judge Tornatta and they would more than likely tell you that his only flaw is that he is too kind of a man.  Seeing as Tornatta did not know Governor O’Bannon at the time of his appointment, we think it is safe to say that his reputation for temperament, experience, level-headedness, and humble and hard-working attitude was all O’Bannon needed to make the right decision for the people of Evansville.

We ask you to join us in praying for Judge Tornatta heath to quickly improve so he can enjoy a quality of life during his retirement years.

We also thank the most Honorable Vanderburgh County Superior Court Judge Robert Jeff Tornatta for being an outstanding public servant.