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A Porter County Superior Court judge is facing disciplinary charges a couple months after pleading guilty to operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
The Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications announced Friday that it charged Judge Christopher A. Buckley with two counts of judicial misconduct related to operating a vehicle while intoxicated and for referring to his judicial status to gain leniency from law enforcement.
Buckley now has 20 days to answer the charges.
The Indiana Supreme Court will decide what misconduct, if any, has occurred, according to a press release from the court.
The court can dismiss the charges, accept or reject any disciplinary agreement between Buckley and the commission or impose a panel of judges to hold a public hearing. It also can issue fines, a reprimand, a suspension or a permanent ban on holding judicial office in the state.
Judicial discipline cases are relatively rare. The Indiana Supreme Court counted only four in its 2024-2025 annual report
Buckley is not currently hearing cases. The Supreme Court selected Senior Judge Michael N. Pagano to be the judge pro tempore until further order of the court.
Buckley did not immediately respond to The Indiana Lawyer’s request for comment on Friday.
On Aug. 15, Buckley was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated after parking a Black Lincoln Navigator at a music festival in Michigan City. A test revealed Buckley’s blood-alcohol level at 0.221%, more than double Indiana’s legal limit, according to a statement of charges filed Friday with the Supreme Court.
The statement said Buckley also mentioned his role as a judge several times to officers after the stop and made a comment about how the arrest would ruin his “career and pension.”
Two days later, he pled guilty and was sentenced to 60 days in jail with 58 days suspended and 180 days of probation, according to court documents. Per his probation, Buckley could not purchase alcohol.
On Sept. 3, the Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications issued Buckley a notice of investigation about his recent conviction.
During its investigation, the commission confirmed that Buckley had a case of Irish Pub Pack beer in his chambers located beneath the rack where he hung his judicial robe, according to the complaint.
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