Over time the Indiana General Assembly formed other superior courts to aid the work that was placed in the Circuit Court. By 2011 Clark County had three superior courts. Judge Moore, working with area legislators and other Clark Judges, instituted the process to merge all county courts into one unified Circuit Court, with four divisions, effective January 12, 2012. This new structure will be similar to other states and will cause less confusion in court names and responsibilities. As of 2012, this historic first Clark County Court will be known as Clark Circuit Court No. 1.
Judge Moore has managed the docket and work of this Court in a way that reaches out to the community. He has formed a program called Riding the Circuit that schedules meetings with groups in schools, area clubs and organizations and churches where he visits to meet with citizens of all ages to explain the workings of the court system and , hopefully, remove some of the mystery about it. He often tells young people that he wants to meet and talk with them in their own setting, at club or youth group meeting, because he never wants their “first meeting” to be when they are standing in front of him in the Court in restraints after being arrested. Judge Moore emphasizes career planning for high school students to keep them out of the criminal court. He is always glad to be a resource to help any young person move toward productive future options in their teen and post high school years.
Before assuming the bench, Judge Moore was a practicing attorney who appeared on behalf of clients in jury trials of all types. He also served as Clark County Attorney Chief Deputy Prosecutor, counsel for the Clarksville Community School Corporation and attorney for the INAAP Reuse Authority. In 1994-1998, he was chief liaison for Clark County in negotiations with the U. S Army and Congressional offices that led to a land conveyance bill being passed by the Congress, and signed by President Clinton.
This legislation transferred over 8,000 acres of a former military installation in Clark County, formerly known as the Indiana Army Ammunition Plant (INAAP) , back to local control, under the management of the local Reuse Authority. This project had him meeting with both civilian and military officials in Washington D. C and at various Army offices. He worked closely with the Washington offices of Congressman Hamilton and Senators Coats and Lugar. He negotiated the first management lease between the U. S Army and the Reuse Authority for the economic development and marketing use of this land.
In his years of public service Judge Moore also worked to establish the first countywide recycling program and the first medically directed ambulance and EMS system for Clark County under the guidance of the Health Department and Health Officer, a physician. He represented the county commissioners and treasurer in several lawsuits that resulted in substantial property tax collection recoveries for Clark County. He has represented the county in the Indiana Court of Appeals. Judge Moore also published two articles on property tax collections for professional presentations. He has served on the adjunct faculty for Business Law and Criminal Justice courses at Indiana University Southeast, Ivy Tech and Strayer University in Louisville.
In addition to his law degree, Judge Moore holds a Masters Degree in education administration from Indiana University and a Bachelor Degree from Franklin College of Indiana. He is a member of the Indiana Bar Association and serves on the Board of Directors of the Indiana Bar Foundation. He is admitted to the bar of the Indiana Supreme Court, the Federal District Court, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago and the United States Supreme Court.
Judge Moore seeks to make his office services innovative and available to the public in a way that reflects modern times, subject to the rules of practice and procedure for the Indiana courts. He has instituted a Night Court docket for one evening a week , hoping to make court services available for those who are unable to make it their due to employment or child care commitments. Clark Circuit Court No. 1 can be reached at 812-285-6308. |
