(Indianapolis, IN) – The Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications has filed disciplinary charges against former Franklin Circuit Court Judge J. Steven Cox.
As of December 31, 2024, Cox no longer serves as judge. However, the commission’s charges, that Cox failed to promote public confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary, stem from his time on the bench.
The former judge is facing three counts of misconduct.
In one count, the commission alleges that Cox participated in improper communication with a defendant at that person’s home outside of the presence of the attorneys.
In another count, former judge Cox is alleged to have investigated facts in a matter independently.
The commission also charges that he maintained a policy of rejecting all negotiated written plea agreements, thus not treating each case on its own merit.
The Indiana Supreme Court has 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 Cox; appoint a panel of judges to conduct a public hearing; levy a fine, or impose sanctions ranging from a reprimand to a suspension, to a permanent ban on holding judicial office in Indiana.
Cox has 20 days to file an answer to the charges.
He served as Franklin Circuit Judge for 18 years, but was defeated in the May 2024 Republican Primary Election by current judge Alex Dudley, who ran unopposed in the November 2024 General Election.
