Porter Superior Court Judge Roger Bradford remembered for fairness, Portage pride
Porter County Prosecutor Gary Germann has known Bradford since 1970, when they attended Valparaiso University Law School together.
'People do not realize what a really great athlete he was,' said Germann, who played on Nolo contendere, the Porter County Bar Association softball team, with Bradford for over a decade. 'He was our second baseman.'
That was a continuation of Bradford's sporting days at Portage Township Schools, where he was nicknamed 'Mr. Machine' in basketball, according to his obituary with Edmonds & Evans Funeral Home.
After attending Indiana State University, Bradford taught fourth and fifth grades in Union Township. He married Mary Kaltenbach, with whom he had two daughters and one granddaughter.
After graduating from VU Law School, Bradford worked in private practice and was appointed to county court in Portage and then to Porter County Superior Court in 1979. He served on that bench for over 40 years before retiring in 2020. The state awarded him the Sagamore of the Wabash.
Germann said Bradford was one of the best judges he's ever appeared under. 'He was a great listener, very consistent, which is what you always want from a judge,' Germann said. Even when Bradford ruled against him, Germann always felt his judgment was fair.
That's a sentiment echoed by Porter County Sheriff Jeff Balon, who used to appear before Bradford when he testified in court as a detective for the Valparaiso Police Department.
'There were cases where I had success in front of Judge Bradford and cases where I did not,' Balon recalled, but either way, he 'was fair overall.'
'Judge Bradford was the epitome of a good judge,' Balon added. 'He was fair. He was firm. He was honest. He was trustworthy. Let's add knowledgeable to that list.'
Porter County Chief Public Defender Ken Elwood knew Bradford for 30 years. 'He was just a good person, very even-keeled,' he said. 'The time that he was on the bench, Porter County residents should have definitely felt safer.'
Elwood also played in the Porter County Bar Association Golf League with Bradford for several years and said those Wednesday evening games and the Ryder Cup-style tournaments Bradford organized were a lot of fun.
Porter County Board of Commissioners President Jim Biggs, R-North, said Bradford was very involved in the community.
'He was everything you wanted a judge to be,' said Biggs. 'He was a very quiet individual, especially if you didn't know him, but he was a consummate professional. You never heard any complaints. He just went about his job.'
That community involvement extended to Bradford's lifelong love of Portage. Elwood said Bradford's family had a farm off Willowcreek Road and McCasland Avenue.
'It was pretty neat to hear the Portage roots,' he said. 'I coached Portage High School football in the 90s and he came to every game for years. He was a Portage guy through and through.'
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 19, at Edmonds & Evans Funeral Home, Portage Chapel, 6941 Central Ave. in Portage. The funeral is at 6 p.m. Friday at the funeral home with additional visitation from 4 to 6 p.m.
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