Helen Marchal

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Judge Helen Marchal was elected for retention in November 2024. She was recommended to continue to serve on the Marion Superior Court bench by:

• Marion County Judicial Selection Committee
• Indianapolis Bar Association

Biography and Photo Courtesy of Judge Helen Marchal.

Judge Helen Marchal is seeking her third term as a Marion Superior Court Judge after having first been elected in 2012.  During the twelve years she has been on the bench, Judge Marchal has served exclusively in the Court’s Criminal Division.   Currently, she presides over level 6 felony and misdemeanor cases in Marion Superior 26.  Additionally, she serves as the host court for the Felony Diversion Program which provides a small number of eligible participants with an alternative to traditional criminal case resolution.  

Off the bench, Judge Marchal has served in several leadership roles within the Marion Superior Courts.  She was elected by her colleagues to serve on the Court’s Executive Committee and was also selected as Criminal Term Chair.   She has served on many other local court committees as a member, including Judicial Education, Pretrial Services and Governance.   At the state-level, Judge Marchal has served as a member of the Indiana Judicial Conference’s Community Relations and Criminal Bench Book Committees.

Judge Marchal is a graduate of the Indiana Judicial College and the Indiana Graduate Judges School and is frequently asked to speak to lawyers on issues related to attorney professionalism and civility. 

Judge Marchal is a member of the Indiana State and Indianapolis Bar Associations.  As a member of the State bar, she was honored to receive the Young Lawyer Division’s Outstanding Judge Award.  The Indianapolis Bar Association has named Judge Marchal as a Distinguished Fellow.  She recently served as the chairperson of IndyBar’s Women in the Law Division and continues to be an active participant in the Division’s mentorship program. 

Before her service on the bench, Judge Marchal worked at the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office (MCPO) after graduating from IU-McKinney School of Law.  As a deputy prosecutor, she was assigned to various courts until her appointment as MCPO’s Chief Counsel and later, its Chief of Staff.  Judge Marchal also served as City Prosecutor for the City of Indianapolis. 

Judge Marchal is a proud mother of three daughters and two stepdaughters.  She and her husband David live in Lawrence Township.