Judicial and Trial Experience
Judge Payne is a veteran Indiana trial judge with thirty-one years experience as Judge of Hancock Superior Court No. 1. During his tenure on the Bench, Hancock County was a favored change of venue destination. Judge Payne has years of trial experience in cases with significant medical malpractice, wrongful death, general personal injury, contract, and domestic relations issues and is qualified to serve as a Family Law Arbitrator under the Indiana Family Law Arbitration Act.

Early in his career, Judge Payne recognized that settlements negotiated by the parties promoted acceptance of the outcome of a conflict as opposed to a judicially imposed result. Over the years, he has become known throughout central Indiana for his interest in promoting settlements in all forms of litigation. Mediation is a natural extension of Judge Payne's interest in promoting justice through negotiated settlements.

Professional Activities
In addition to his activities at the local judicial level, Judge Payne has spent years in service to the Indiana judiciary through membership on committees of the Indiana Judicial Conference. He served on the committee which wrote and published Indiana Pattern Jury Instructions (Criminal) in 1979 and chaired the committee when it revised the original publication in 1992. Since then, Judge Payne has participated on the Judicial Administration Committee which authored the Weighted Caseload Study -- the statistical standard by which trial court caseloads are evaluated. The committee also studied the need for reform of Indiana 's jury trial system and forwarded recommendations to the Indiana Supreme Court resulting in the implementation of the Jury Trial Rules in 2003.

Since retiring from the Bench, Judge Payne chaired task forces of Indiana trial judges, court reporters, magistrates and court commissioners at the Indiana Judicial Center which published new manuals for Indiana court reporters and appointed judicial officers. After service as a liaison representative of the Division of State Court Administration with the Judicial Technology and Automation Committee of the Indiana Supreme Court, Judge Payne has been retained as a consultant to aid in the creation of twenty-first century case management software systems for use by Indiana courts. Judge Payne has also been an active participant in creating a manual for Indiana courts and clerks concerning implementation of Administrative Rule 9 concerning confidentiality of court records and in revision of the Rules of Trial Procedure and the creation of model local court rules. Pursuant to the appointment of the Chief Justice of Indiana, Judge Payne has been a member of the Indiana Senior Judge Committee and serves as Chair of the Committee.

Education

• A.B. Indiana University , Government, 1966
• J.D. Indiana University School of Law ( Bloomington ), 1969
• Indiana Judicial College, 1983
• Civil Mediation Certification, Indiana 1993
• Advanced Civil Mediation Certification, 1998, 2001

Bar Admissions

• Indiana Supreme Court, 1969
• United States District Court, Southern District of Indiana, 1969