JUDGE ALEVIZOS ANNOUNCES

HISTORIC APPOINTMENT

Thomas Alevizos, Judge of the LaPorte Circuit Court, is proud to announce that on April 21,
2023, he will be appointing and swearing in Erika C. Stallworth as the first African American
Judicial Officer in LaPorte County, Indiana. Ms. Stallworth will be assuming the duties of
Juvenile Magistrate upon the retirement of W. Jonathan Forker, who has served in the capacity
of both Magistrate and Juvenile Magistrate since January of 2011.

Ms. Stallworth is currently the Executive Director of the LaPorte County Juvenile Services
Center (JSC), a 24-bed emergency shelter care and detention facility for at-risk and children in
need of services. Ms. Stallworth began her career at the JSC in 2000. She has served as the
Executive Director since January 1, 2009. While at the JSC, Ms. Stallworth served as Assistant
Director, Counseling Supervisor, Caseworker, and Youth Specialist Worker.

Ms. Stallworth grew up in Kingsford Heights, Indiana and is a 1996 graduate of LaPorte High
School, (where she was ranked #3 in her class). Ms. Stallworth graduated Cum Laude from
Spelman College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. She earned a Master of Social
Work degree from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctorate degree from Loyola
University Chicago School of Law. While in law school, Ms. Stallworth’s focus of study was in
child and family law. As a result, she also earned a certificate in Child and Family Law. Ms.
Stallworth has also had legal practice experience in criminal record expungement and family law
matters.

In 2019, Ms. Stallworth completed the Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Juvenile
Justice certification program at Georgetown University’s Center for Juvenile Justice Reform. As
a result of this program, Ms. Stallworth chaired a local team of stakeholders who collaborated on
a project that brought law enforcement and young people together for a day of education,
learning and relationship-building.

As a child advocate, Ms. Stallworth has a strong interest in system reform. In 2008, she was
appointed by the Indiana Speaker of the House of Representatives to serve on the Governor's
Commission on Disproportionality in Youth Services. As a result of the Commission’s work,
recommendations for system improvement were made to the Governor. Ms. Stallworth has
served on several local, State and national community boards. Some of these have included the
State of Indiana Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) Conditions of Confinement
Workgroup, past Co-Chair of the State of Indiana JDAI Alternatives to Detention Workgroup,
past President of the Board of Directors for Family Advocates, Inc. (formerly LaPorte County
Harmony House/Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)), the La Porte County
Interdisciplinary Cooperative Education Program Advisory Committee, and past Co-Chair of the
Membership Advisory Council of the National Juvenile Justice Network. She is an alumni
Fellow with the National Juvenile Justice Network Youth Justice Leadership Institute and is a
founding Board Member of the Children's Policy and Law Initiative of Indiana (CPLI), a non-
profit dedicated to protecting the rights of children. Her work with CPLI afforded her the
opportunity help draft legislation that was later presented to State legislators. Ms. Stallworth is
currently the secretary/treasurer of the LaPorte County Bar Association. She also serves on the
LaPorte County Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative Steering Committee, which is
responsible for guiding some of LaPorte County’s juvenile justice programming.

Ms. Stallworth is a member of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, the
Indiana Juvenile Detention Association, the National Juvenile Justice Network, the American
Correctional Association, the Indiana Criminal Justice Association, and the National Alumnae
Association of Spelman College. This year, Ms. Stallworth is celebrating 25 years of
membership in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.