Attorney
Merrillville, Indiana, 46410
I was elected Lake County Sheriff in 2002 and took my oath of office on January 1, 2003. I am the only elected Sheriff of Lake County with a Juris Doctorate and only one of seven nationwide. My experience in law enforcement, first as an Indiana State Trooper, Public Defender, and Deputy Prosecutor, prepared me well for the challenges and duties of a Sheriff. At the Indiana State Police Academy, I was awarded the Donald Flint Award for being first in his class. My short stint as a steelworker at Inland Steel as an Apprentice Millwright equipped him for college challenges, earning my Bachelor's Degree in Sociology from Indiana University NWI and a Juris Doctorate from Valparaiso University. My legal experience has been in personal injury, family practice, juvenile and criminal law.
My court practice includes the United States District Court, the Northern District of Indiana, the United States District Court, the Southern District of Indiana, the Indiana State Supreme Court, and the United States Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.
I was legal counsel for the Lake County Assessor's Office, Special Counsel for the Indiana Department of Revenue, Corporate Counsel for the City of East Chicago, and School Corporation Counsel for the River Forest Community School Corporation in Hobart; he served as Chairman of the Board and then Administrative Law Judge of the Indiana Workers' Compensation Board in Indianapolis.
