Marc Griffin

Marc L. Griffin (born May 25, 1956) is an American lawyer who became the world's youngest judge at age 17 in 1974.
== Education ==
He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana Wesleyan University. He was awarded the degree of Juris Doctor | Doctor of Jurisprudence by the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law
== Bar admissions ==
He is Admission to the bar in the United States | admitted to the bar of the Indiana Supreme Court,, United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States.
== Legal career ==
In his first year of practice he was a Sole practitioner | solo practitioner in Indianapolis. From 1994 to 1997 he was a partner at Griffin & Smith. From 1998 to 2021 he was a partner at Griffin, Hicks & Hicks. His legal practice focused on real estate law. 
== Judicial career ==
=== Governor's appointment ===
On the nomination of the Board of Commissioners of Johnson County, Indiana Griffin was appointed and commissioned by Indiana Governor Otis Bowen on February 19, 1974 as a Justice of the Peace to fill a vacancy in that office in White River Township, Johnson County, Indiana.,
=== Indiana Attorney General opinion ===
After having appointed Griffin as a Justice of the Peace, Governor Bowen requested an official opinion from Indiana Attorney General Theodore Sendak asking how the laws which define age eligibility for holding office affected his appointment of Griffin. On March 19, 1974, Sendak issued his Official Opinion No. 1 of 1974.https://scholarworks.iupui.edu/bitstream/handle/1805/260/1974%20Ind%20Op%20Att%27y%20Gen%201.pdf?sequence=33&isAllowed=y Sendak opined that Griffin, as a 17-year-old person, was not old enough to take the oath of office as a Justice of the Peace in Indiana., The Attorney General's opinion was only advisory and would not force Griffin from office unless his appointment were challenged successfully in court. When the announcement of the opinion was picked up by the Associated Press, the story appeared in newspapers all over the United States. Editors of the news agency|news agency's newspaper members deliberately set out to hook their readers with sensational headlines that screamed controversy and catastrophe.,,,, In light of the Attorney General's opinion, Griffin and the Johnson County Board of Commissioners asked the county attorney to give his opinion and report back to them. Contrary to the Attorney General's opinion, the county attorney's opinion found no reason why Griffin could not hold the office. The county attorney offered to represent the Commissioners and Griffin should they be challenged in court.
=== Judicial opinion on eligibility ===
Griffin and Robert W. Condit were candidates in the May 1974 Republican primary election for Justice of the Peace in White River Township. Condit filed a lawsuit against the Johnson County Election Board., Condit claimed that the Election Board was violating the law when they registered Griffin as a candidate. Condit cited the official opinion issued by Indiana Attorney General Sendak. The suit noted that the election commission|election board approved Griffin's filing as a candidate six days after the official opinion had been issued. Griffin defeated Condit in the primary election. After he was defeated, Condit amended his lawsuit against the Election Board by adding Griffin as a defendant.,, Condit did not prevail in his suit when a court ruled that the Attorney General's opinion was not a correct interpretation of the law. The court's ruling in that case validated Griffin's eligibilty to be a candidate and to serve.,
=== Justice of the Peace court ===
On April 6, 1974, Griffin opened his courtroom and heard cases for the first time., He adjudicated civil small claims cases such as debt collection, Dishonoured cheque|dishonored checks, Landlord–tenant law|landlord-tenant issues, and property damage. On his criminal docket, he heard misdemeanor cases including vehicle moving violations, breach of the peace, shoplifting, and assault. He held surety of the peace hearings and issued peace bond|peace bonds which are known in the present day as Restraining order|protective orders. He was legally authorized to perform civil marriages and was doing so before he was legally old enough to get married without Parental consent|parental consent,. His appointive term ended December 31, 1974. He also won a contested general election in 1974 to allow him to continue in an elective term of four years. However, his elective term was cut short when the Indiana General Assembly abolished Justice of the Peace courts statewide effective January 1, 1975.
== Guinness World Records ==
Griffin holds the Guinness World Records title of the World’s Youngest Judge.
In 1990, being unaware of Griffin's earlier achievement, Guinness World Records had awarded the title of World's Youngest Judge to John Payton. Payton, at age eighteen years, nine months and fourteen days old, was elected a judge as a Collin County, Texas, Justice of the Peace on November 6, 1990. 
Griffin had achieved the record at an age younger than Payton on his appointment as a judge on February 19, 1974 at the age of seventeen years, eight months and twenty-five days old. Griffin also achieved the record at an age younger than Peyton on being elected as a judge on November 5, 1974 at the age of eighteen years, five months and eleven days. However, it was not until 2011 that Guinness World Records became aware of Griffin's achievements and correctly awarded the title to him who had set the record 37 years earlier.,,
Category:Indiana lawyers
Category:21st-century American lawyers
Category:1956 births