Tribute to Judge John Daniel Tinder

Abstract

I had the distinct privilege, along with more than forty other attorneys, of serving as a law clerk for Circuit Judge John Daniel Tinder. I lacked any particular awareness of Judge Tinder before his nomination to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which was announced just weeks before I started law school. Since then, I have learned through personal interactions, news articles, 1 discussions with others, and of course, legal research, of the respect and loyalty Judge Tinder holds for the institution of the law. I. BEFORE THE ROBES Judge Tinder's experience in the practice of law began in varied circumstances-as he started as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, later served as a public defender in the Marion Superior Court, and then became the Chief Trial Deputy in the Marion County Prosecutor's Office. In these roles, Judge Tinder 2 took all manner of cases to favorable jury verdicts, including high-profile murder and rape cases. 3 As his career progressed, Judge Tinder was often compared to his father, "Honest" John G. Tinder. Perhaps through his father's experience as Marion 4 County Prosecutor from 1955-58, Judge Tinder learned the importance of the law as a foundation for society. So vigorous was John G. Tinder's prosecution of corruption, a sniper was once found in a haystack near the family home in an apparent assassination attempt. The Indianapolis Times named him Man of the 5

Tribute to Judge John Daniel Tinder

“…Marion County Prosecutor's Office. 7 The early years of Judge Tinder's career found him teaching trial advocacy at the Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis, including when he was being considered for, and ultimately appointed to, the position of U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana in February 1984. He was practicing 8 commercial litigation at the time of his U.S. Attorney appointment, but had honed his craft practicing criminal law, where he was known for his "stern determination and quick mind."…”