R. Kent Apsley
Republican · IN · Judge of the Shelby Superior Court, No. 1
R. Kent Apsley has been judge of Shelby Superior Court 1 since his election in 2014. Before that he was the elected prosecutor for Shelby County from 1999 through 2014 and earlier worked as a trial lawyer and public defender.
Track record
Track record — General
General · 2 records
Upheld the county election board's removal of a Morristown town council hopeful from the ballot over where he lived. Judge Apsley denied the man's appeal and affirmed the board, noting the deadline to finalize ballots had passed.
March 17, 2026
Source: shelbynews.com
Sentenced a drunk driver to 25 years in prison for a wrong-way crash on I-74 that killed a 23-year-old Shelbyville woman. The sentence covered causing a death while intoxicated and being a habitual felony offender.
February 8, 2022
Source: shelbynews.com
Track record — Legal Competence
Legal Competence · 2 unfavorable
Was reversed by the Indiana Court of Appeals in a child welfare case. He had named permanent guardians for two girls without the petition and notice to their mother that state law requires. The appeals court ruled the mother was denied due process.
June 24, 2024Unfavorable on Legal Competence
Source: public.courts.in.gov
Was reversed by the Indiana Court of Appeals in a child custody case he heard as judge in Johnson County. The appeals court found he misused his discretion when he gave a father primary and sole legal custody of a child.
August 20, 2021Unfavorable on Legal Competence
Source: public.courts.in.gov
Past race R. Kent Apsley ran in:
- Shelby County Judge of the Superior Court, No. 1 · November 3, 2026 · Shelby County, Indiana · incumbent