Catherine Stafford, Judge

Monroe Circuit Court IV

Catherine Stafford has served as the Judge of Monroe Circuit Court IV since 2019.  She handles a docket including divorce, custody, parenting time, child support, orders of protection, evictions, small claims, and name and gender marker changes. She helped create the Eviction Prevention Project, a collaboration of several local nonprofits providing free legal advice and mediation services to those going through housing cases in Monroe County.

In addition to handling cases, Judge Stafford is an active member of the statewide Family Law Taskforce, the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, the Guardian ad Litem Oversight Committee, and the Domestic Relations Benchbook Committee.  She has long served as an Adjunct Professor at IU Maurer School of Law, teaching law students about mediation and how to practice family law.  Judge Stafford is a frequent legal educator and has presented at the Indiana Civil Legal Aid Conference, Monroe County Apartment Association, Middle Way House, Monroe County Bar Association Bench & Bar Conference, Indiana Family Law Institute, and other organizations.

Judge Stafford grew up in Bloomington and received her B.A. in English and Medieval Certificate from Indiana University—Bloomington in 1993.  She received her law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1997 and served as Law Council President (student body president). She has been active in Monroe County politics since 1976, and prior to serving as a Judge had served as MCDP Treasurer, Precinct Vice-Chair, and had assisted with multiple campaigns, including for city council, county council, judicial offices, and state races.  She spends her spare time hanging out with her awesome children, remodeling, camping, reading, gaming, knitting, and crocheting.