Three Southern Indiana Judges Charged with Judicial Misconduct

The Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications has filed disciplinary charges against three judges: Clark Circuit Court 1 Judge Andrew Adams, Crawford Circuit Court Judge Sabrina Bell, and Clark Circuit Court 2 Judge Bradley Jacobs.

The Commission alleges misconduct related to the judges’ behavior on May 1, while in attendance at a judicial education conference, which led to a physical altercation and resulted in Judges Adams and Jacobs being shot. Each judge has 20 days to file an answer to the charges.

Each judge is separately charged with violating the Code of Judicial Conduct through a “Notice of the Institution of Formal Proceedings and Statement of Charges.” The allegations are public record and have been filed with the Appellate Clerk’s Office and the cases are in mycase.in.gov. The charges are brought by the 7-member Commission which investigates alleged ethical misconduct by judges.

• Judge Adams is charged with three counts of misconduct (19S-JD-386) alleging he violated the Code of Judicial Conduct, which requires him to act in a manner at all times that promotes public confidence in the integrity of the judiciary; to not engage in extrajudicial activity that undermines a judge’s integrity; and to comply with the law.
• Judge Bell is charged with two counts of misconduct (19S-JD-567) alleging she violated the Code of Judicial Conduct, which requires her to act in a manner at all times that promotes public confidence in the integrity of the judiciary; and to not engage in extrajudicial activity that undermines a judge’s integrity.
• Judge Jacobs is charged with two counts of misconduct (19S-JD-566) alleging he violated the Code of Judicial Conduct which requires him to act in a manner at all times that promotes public confidence in the integrity of the judiciary, and to not engage in extrajudicial activity that undermines a judge’s integrity.

The Justices of the Supreme Court have final authority to determine what, if any, judicial misconduct occurred. The Court can dismiss the charges, accept or reject a disciplinary agreement between the Commission and each of the judges, appoint a panel of judges to conduct a public hearing, impose a fine, impose sanctions ranging from a reprimand to a suspension to a permanent ban on holding judicial office in Indiana.