Biography and photo courtesy of Judge David Certo.
Judge David Certo leads the Marion County Probate Court. He was appointed to the Marion Superior Court by Governor Daniels on August 1, 2007, and has presided over the Indianapolis Veterans Court, Civil Protection Order Court, Indianapolis Community Court, misdemeanor and felony criminal courts, and the Marion County Environmental Court. Judge Certo served as Presiding Judge for the 36 judges of the Marion Superior Court in 2013-2014 and as Associate Presiding Judge from 2012-2013. He serves on the Indiana Supreme Court’s Guardianship Oversight Task Force and its Probate and Guardianship Committees. He also chairs Indiana’s delegation to the Uniform Law Commission.
Judge Certo serves on the board for Helping Veterans and Families (HVAF), which recognized him in 2014 for advocating for homeless veterans, and on the board for Operation: Job Ready Vets. He is an Eagle Scout, Cubmaster of Pack 8, and board member for the Crossroads of America Council of the Boy Scouts. Dave is past president of the Columbia Club, which named him Columbian of the Year in 2009. He chaired the Indianapolis Police Department’s Citizens Police Complaint Board for three years and served on the Marion County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team. Dave led the Eskenazi Community Mental Health Advisory Board for three years and volunteers as president of the Saint Thomas More Society and the Officer David Moore Food Pantry. Dave is a parishioner at Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church.
Dave received the Jefferson Award for Public Service from WRTV-6 and represented Indianapolis at the national awards for Multiplying Good in 2022. He was Indiana Young Republican Man of the Year in 2007 and the Wyoming Antelope Club’s Member of the Year in 2017. Dave received the Al Smith Award from the Bishop Chatard Assembly of the Knights of Columbus. The Indiana State Medical Association recognized Dave’s work fighting mental illness and addiction with their Patient Health Advocate Award in 2014. The Indiana Latino Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence gave him its Advocacy Award for helping victims of domestic violence in 2010. He was named to the IBJ’s 2005 list of Forty Under 40 in 2005 and the Indiana Lawyer’s Leadership in Law program in 2024. Dave was appointed to the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels and is an Honorary Citizen of the State of Maryland.
Before taking the bench, Judge Certo worked as counsel to the Director of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, chief counsel at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, counsel to the State Treasurer, director of the Indiana Board of Pharmacy, and Governor’s Fellow in Governor Bayh’s office. He also served as special assistant for regulatory review for Indianapolis Mayor Goldsmith. Dave graduated from the University of Notre Dame, the Indiana University McKinney School of Law, Mundelein Seminary’s pre-theology program, the Indiana Graduate Program for Judges and Indiana Judicial College, and the University of Utah School on Alcoholism & Drug Dependencies. He holds a certificate in General Jurisdiction Trial Skills from the National Judicial College.
