Panel objects to reinstating Indiana judge during shooting investigation

Update: A panel investigating Clark County Judge Andrew Adams' role in a fight that led to Adams pleading guilty to a misdemeanor objected Friday to his bid for reinstatement.

Adams, through his attorneys, filed a petition Monday requesting the Indiana Supreme Court to reinstate him as a judge in Clark Circuit Court, according to court documents. He and other judges are currently under investigation by the Judicial Qualifications Commission in connection with a May shooting outside a Downtown White Castle. Both Adams and another judge were shot and seriously injured. 

The commission wants Adams to remain suspended with pay until the conclusion of its investigation. In a response filed Friday, the panel noted that the main concern behind Adams' temporary suspension is to "protect public confidence in the integrity of the judiciary."

Court records show the court has not made a decision on Adams' request.

Original story, Sept. 18: A suspended southern Indiana judge facing possible sanctions for his role in a fight that ended in him and another judge being shot and seriously injured wants to return to the bench.

Judge Andrew Adams, through his attorneys, filed a petition Monday requesting the high court to reinstate him as a judge in Clark Circuit Court, according to court documents.

Adams was suspended with pay from the bench in June, after a grand jury returned an indictment against him. A temporary judge started hearing cases in Adams' court in early May as Adams recovered from his gunshot injuries.

On Sept. 9, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of battery. Two days later, the Judicial Qualifications Commission announced it is investigating Adams and other judges who were present during the incident.

With the criminal case seemingly behind him, Adams now wants his suspension terminated and to resume his judicial duties, according to the petition. IndyStar has reached out to the Indiana Supreme Court for comment.

Why Adams was suspended

Adams, 47, was charged with seven criminal offenses for his role in the May 1 altercation in which he and Clark County Judge Brad Jacobs were wounded by gunfire. Jacobs was not charged.

The shooting stemmed from a fight that began around 3:20 a.m. outside White Castle, 55 W. South St., in Downtown Indianapolis.

Investigators say Adams, Jacobs, and two other judges were in town for a judicial conference. The four had visited several Downtown restaurants and bars late April 30 and into the morning hours of May 1.

They tried to enter the Red Garter Gentleman's Club, police said, but it was closed. They went to the nearby White Castle instead.

One judge, identified by the Supreme Court as Clark County Magistrate William Dawkins, went inside the restaurant, according to police. 

Adams, Jacobs and a woman identified by the Supreme Court as Crawford County Judge Sabrina Bell, were standing near the building when an SUV parked nearby and two men left the vehicle, police said.

The groups exchanged words and then there was a "physical fight in the parking lot," police said. One man fired shots. The shooter and another man left in the SUV, according to police.

The alleged shooter, Brandon Kaiser, 41, was charged with 14 crimes, including eight felony charges — four of which are Level 3 felony aggravated assault. Alfredo Vazquez, Kaiser's 24-year-old nephew, faces six counts of low-level felony and misdemeanor charges, including two counts of Level 6 felony battery. 

Under Indiana's rules of court, a judge can be suspended with pay by the Indiana Supreme Court after the filing of an indictment or information charging the person with a felony, according to the court.

Adams initially faced two felony counts of battery resulting in moderate bodily injury. But in exchange for his guilty plea to misdemeanor battery, prosecutors dismissed the two felonies, along with the other four charges.

In his petition, Adams says this means that the sole reason for his suspension, the pending felonies, "no longer exists." He also notes the relatively light sentence he received — an almost entirely suspended sentence, no probation and a $100 fine.

A judicial investigation

The announcement of the judicial probe against Adams and the other judges was a rare move.

"Given the public exposure of the incident and Judge Andrew Adams’ Sept. 9, 2019, guilty plea, the Commission is taking the rare step to disclose that an investigation into the incident is ongoing," Kathryn Dolan, spokeswoman for the Supreme Court, said last week.

Investigations into judges accused of misbehaving are typically kept confidential until formal charges are brought by the commission, Dolan said. 

An exception in the law says the commission "may disclose the existence of an investigation to assure that the proper administration of justice is being safeguarded."

Adams says that even if he ultimately faces additional sanctions, he "feels obligated" to prepare Clark County Circuit Court for another absence.

"Adams’ reinstatement to the bench is in the best interest of the Clark County judicial system," the petition said.

IndyStar reporter Vic Ryckaert contributed to this report.

Contact IndyStar reporter Crystal Hill at 317-444-6094 or cnhill@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @crysnhill.