This may be one of the crazier judicial misconduct stories I have ever read about. I mean, truly bananagrams stuff, guys. And this judge had only been on the bench since 2023! Not even 3 years and already he received a LIFETIME ban!
Here is the story. FOX 59 is reporting that Matthew Elkin, a judge in Howard Superior Court (Indiana) has been asked to resign from his role and received a lifetime ban following accusations of “unfair treatment, including using a “game or jail” tactic and cursing out defendants” among other serious allegations.
Prior to the request to resign and the lifetime ban, he had been found guilty of judicial misconduct for a litany of reasons, including:
- Failing to disqualify himself from presiding over matters in which he previously represented a party
- Making injudicious comments toward problem-solving court (“PSC”) participants,
- Favoring certain litigants while degrading others,
- Inadequately supervising employees, and
- Possibly misusing court funds.
He was charged in March with nine counts of judicial misconduct. He was found guilty on all 9 counts.
His docket included cases in both drug court and re-entry court. Those are called “problem-solving courts” or PSCs and are “designed to help defendants address addiction issues and reintegration needs.”
