Judge Kramer
Judge Michael J. Kramer took office on January 1, 1991. He has served longer
than any judge in Noble County history except former Noble Circuit Court Judge
Robert C. Probst.
Judge Kramer received his Bachelors degree from Ball State University and his
law degree from the University of Dayton, summa cum laude, where he was a
member of the law review. Prior to taking office Judge Kramer practiced law in
Ligonier with the firm of Heckner & Kirsch.
On December 14, 1999 he was named Distinguished Hoosier by Governor Frank
O'Bannon, has been named Volunteer of the Year by Drug-Free Indiana, and has
testified before the Government Reform Committee, Subcommittee on Criminal
Justice, Drug Policy, and Human Resources of the U.S. House of Representatives
in Washington, D.C. on the reauthorization of Drug Free Communities Act. In 2009 he was named Indiana
Addiction Recovery Advocate of the Year as a result of his work to prevent and treat
substance abuse. In 2010, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America named Judge
Kramer its Advocate of the Year.
Judge Kramer serves on the boards of Noble House, Common Grace, Life and Family
Services, Noble County
PRIDE, Noble County Teen Court, and Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
(CADCA), the national organization that organizes, trains, and advocates for
community anti-drug coalitions. He is a member of the Addictions Advisory Council for the Indiana Division af Mental Health
and Addictions and the chair of the Prevention
Committee. He also serves as president of the Courthouse
Square Preservation Society, which promotes the history and preservation of the
Noble County Courthouse,
a member and past president of the
Ligonier Rotary Club and a member of the Cromwell-Kimmel
Lions Club..
The Indiana Supreme Court appointed Judge Kramer to be one of four judges in
Indiana to be named resource judges for the State of Indiana and be trained in
science and technology so as to be prepared for issues that arise in courts and he is a fellow
of the Advanced Science and Technology Adjudication Resource Center. Judge Kramer has also serves on the Criminal Law Policy Committee of the
Indiana Judicial Conference and previously served on the Criminal Benchbook
Committee.
Judge Kramer is an elected member of the prestigious American Law Institute. He
is a member of the Indiana State Bar Association, a past president of the Noble
County Bar Association, American Judicature Society, American Judges
Association, and is a fellow of the Indiana Bar Foundation.
Judge Kramer was appointed by Governor Mitch Daniels to
the Governor's Advisory Panel for the Indiana Grassroots Coalitions Prevention
Initiative. He previously served as chair of Drug-Free Noble County for many
years and served on the Regional Advisory Board for Drug-Free Indiana.
He is a member of the Immaculate Conception Church in Kendallville and is a
member of the Knights of Columbus.