Sarah Evans Barker

For the British political administrator, see Sara Barker.

Sarah Evans Barker
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
Incumbent
Assumed office June 30, 2014
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
In office 1994–2000
Preceded by	Gene Edward Brooks
Succeeded by	Larry J. McKinney
Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
In office March 14, 1984 – June 30, 2014
Appointed by	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Cale James Holder
Succeeded by	James R. Sweeney II
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana
In office 1981–1984
President	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Virginia Dill McCarty
Succeeded by	John Daniel Tinder
Personal details
Born	Sarah Elizabeth Evans (1943-06-10) June 10, 1943 Mishawaka, Indiana, U.S.
Education	Indiana University Bloomington (BS) American University (JD)

Sarah Evans Barker (born June 10, 1943) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.

Education and career

Born in Mishawaka, Indiana, Barker received a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University Bloomington in 1965 and a Juris Doctor from American University Washington College of Law in 1969. She was a legislative assistant for United States Representative Gilbert Gude in 1969 and for United States Senator Charles H. Percy from 1969 to 1971. She was a special counsel to the United States Senate Government Operations Committee, permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in Washington, D.C. from 1971 to 1972. She was a director of research and director of scheduling and advance to Senator Percy's re-election campaign in 1972. She then served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of Indiana from 1972 to 1976, and as a First Assistant United States Attorney from 1976 to 1977. She was in private practice in Indianapolis, Indiana from 1977 to 1981. She was the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana from 1981 to 1984. In 2012, Barker received the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site Advancing American Democracy Award.

Federal judicial service

On February 14, 1984, Barker was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana vacated by Judge Cale James Holder. Barker was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 13, 1984, and received her commission the following day, becoming the first female federal judge in Indiana. She served as Chief Judge from 1994 to 2000. Barker assumed senior status effective June 30, 2014.

In April 2006, Barker granted summary judgment in favor of Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita in a case challenging Indiana's Voter ID law. Barker was affirmed by SCOTUS in Crawford v. Marion County Election Board.

See also

• • List of first women lawyers and judges in Indiana

Sources

• Sarah Evans Barker at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
• Confirmation hearings on federal appointments : hearings before the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, Ninety-eighth Congress, first session-second session on confirmation hearings on appointments to the federal judiciary and the Department of Justice. pt.3 (1985) This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.