Delphi murder trial: What to know about Judge Frances Gull

When Richard Allen appears for his courtroom trial in May, his future will be in the hands of not only a jury, but the defense attorneys, prosecutor and judge overseeing his case, which has witnessed several legal twists and turns.

Teenagers Libby German and Abby Williams were found dead a day after being lured off a hiking trail near the Monon High Bridge east of Delphi on Feb. 13, 2017. Authorities arrested Allen more than five years later in connection to their killings. His charges include two counts of murder and two counts of murder while kidnapping.

Here's what we know about the judge overseeing one of Indiana's biggest murder trials in recent history.

Who is Special Judge Frances Gull?

Judge Frances Gull has served Allen County's superior court since 1997. She's been re-elected four times. Gull has overseen six criminal courts, according to her Allen Superior Court biography page, and has served more than 20 years as the administrative judge of the superior court's criminal division.

She's been recognized by Indiana Supreme Court Justice Loretta Rush for her work in making the jury system more convenient through devices that allow jurors to communicate with court administrators via text or QR codes.

What did she do before becoming a judge?

Before becoming a judge, Gull worked in the Allen County Prosecutor's Office serving a variety of roles as chief counsel in the criminal division, section chief of the felony division, and deputy prosecuting attorney in the sex crimes unit, where Gull prosecuted cases of sexual assault against women and children.

Gull is the second judge to oversee Richard Allen's murder trial; the first recused himself.

The Indiana Supreme Court appointed Gull as special judge in the Delphi murder case in November 2022 after Carroll Circuit Court Judge Benjamin Diener recused himself. Diener made the request hours after signing a motion transferring Allen away from the small, close-knit Indiana city where the teens were found killed and over to the custody of the Indiana Department of Corrections "for safekeeping."

Gull joined a pilot program allowing cameras into the courtroom, but you won't see any for Richard Allen's murder trial

In December 2021, Gull opted into a pilot project allowing media cameras inside Allen County's courtrooms, an Indiana Court Times article reported. Broadcasting, taking photos and recording is otherwise prohibited in the Hoosier state, but the Indiana Supreme Court has given judges more discretion in allowing media permission to video and audio record.

You won't see cameras anywhere inside Richard Allen's trial, however. Gull has denied multiple requests from media outlets to record the proceedings.

Why won't the judge allow cameras into the Delphi trial?

Once, Gull allowed cameras into the courtroom for a hearing in October 2023 in which she expressly limited recordings to the hearing itself — she banned any video or audio of attorney-client communications or bench conferences. Clips recorded before and after the hearing were aired anyway by various news outlets, and Gull has denied each media request to record hearings and the trial without explanation since.

More about the case:Delphi murders judge says she will not tolerate leaks in Richard Allen defense hearings

The Delphi murder judge accused Richard Allen's defense attorneys of being incompetent. They were later reinstated

Gull and Richard Allen's defense attorneys, Andrew Baldwin and Brad Rozzi, have what you could call a contentious relationship. Last October, Gull pulled Allen's defense attorneys into her chambers ahead of a scheduled hearing. Despite making it clear early on she would tolerate no leaks in the case, a former associate of Baldwin's office leaked crime scene photos without Baldwin's knowledge.

Over Allen's objections, Gull dismissed Rozzi and Baldwin as his attorneys, saying they were grossly negligent and incompetent, according to a memorandum. Of the two people person accused of leaking the photos, one has a pending misdemeanor case in Johnson County, and the other is dead.

Rozzi and Baldwin fought their removal and were later reinstated by the Indiana Supreme Court.

Delphi murder suspect Richard Allen asked the judge to recuse herself

Gull's decision to dismiss Allen's defense attorney's prompted him to ask Gull to recuse herself from his case. His attorneys filed motions in January saying Gull is "biased" against their client and further argued that Gull remaining on the case could lead to a successful appeal if Allen is found guilty.

What other high profile cases has Judge Gull overseen?

Gull was the judge for the Richmond Hill explosion murder case, in which Mark Leonard and others were found guilty of masterminding a massive explosion for insurance money that killed two people, leveled one house and destroyed dozens more in the Richmond Hill neighborhood on Indianapolis' Southeast side.

Delphi murders investigation:Review the case through 5 years of reporting

John Tufts covers trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Follow him on X at @JTuftsReports.