Title: In the Matter of the Hon. Kenneth R. Scheibenberger
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 02S00-0807-JD-396
State: Indiana
Issuer: Indiana Supreme Court
Date: January 21, 2009

ATTORNEY FOR HON. 
 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEY FOR THE COMMISSION  
KENNETH R. SCHEIBENBERGER, JUDGE 
 
 
 
ON JUDICIAL QUALIFICATIONS  
 
James P. Fenton  
 
 
 
 
 
Meg W. Babcock 
Fort Wayne, Indiana 
 
 
 
 
 
Indianapolis, Indiana 
 
______________________________________________________________________________ 
 
In the 
Indiana Supreme Court  
 
_________________________________ 
 
No. 02S00-0807-JD-396 
 
IN THE MATTER OF THE HONORABLE 
KENNETH R. SCHEIBENBERGER, JUDGE  
OF THE ALLEN SUPERIOR COURT 
 
_________________________________ 
  
JUDICIAL DISCIPLINARY ACTION 
_________________________________ 
 
January 21, 2009 
 
Per Curiam. 
 
This matter comes before the Court as a result of a judicial disciplinary action brought by 
the Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications (“Commission”) against the Respondent 
herein, Kenneth R. Scheibenberger, Judge of the Allen Superior Court.  Article 7, Section 4 of 
the Indiana Constitution and Indiana Admission and Discipline Rule 25 give the Indiana 
Supreme Court original jurisdiction over this matter. 
Subsequent to the filing of formal charges by the Commission, the Respondent and the 
Commission jointly tendered a “Statement of Circumstances and Conditional Agreement for 
Discipline” in which they stipulated to the following facts.  On August 19, 2007, the 
Respondent’s son died accidentally, a contributing factor to which was his son’s use of drugs.  
On November 30, 2007, a criminal defendant, whom the Respondent believed played a 
tangential or indirect role in his son’s drug use, was to be sentenced in the courtroom of Allen 
FILED
CLERK
of the supreme court,
court of appeals and
tax court
Jan 21 2009, 8:12 am
 
2 
Superior Court Judge Frances C. Gull on a weapons charge.   On that day, the Respondent 
suspended his court session and attended the sentencing hearing in Judge Gull’s courtroom, 
sitting in the gallery wearing his judicial robe.  At the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, the 
Respondent moved to the front of the gallery where two deputy prosecutors were standing.  In 
response to a statement the Respondent had heard during the sentencing hearing about the 
defendant, the Respondent stated to the deputy prosecutors, “Law-abiding citizen, my ass!” or 
words to that effect, and said that the defendant was a “drug dealer.”  The Respondent also 
turned to three members of the defendant’s family, who were seated in the front row of the 
gallery, and said “Are you related to that piece of shit?  Law-abiding citizen, my ass!  He’ll get 
what’s coming to him” or words to that effect.  The Respondent then left the courtroom. 
The Respondent and the Commission agree that his behavior violated Canons 1(A)1 and 
2(A)2 of the Code of Judicial Conduct.  The Respondent and the Commission agree that the 
following are mitigating factors in this case:  (a) the Respondent reacted as a grieving parent; 
(b) he did not attend the sentencing hearing with the intent of confronting the defendant or his 
family, but rather only to observe; (c) he cooperated fully with the Commission in its 
investigation of the matter; (d) he has accepted responsibility and is remorseful for his conduct; 
and (e) he has undertaken appropriate measures to address his grief.  The Respondent and the 
Commission further agree that an aggravating factor in this matter is the fact that in 2002 the 
Commission issued a Public Admonition against Judge Scheibenberger for taking judicial action 
in a case in which his son was charged in the Allen Superior Court with a misdemeanor.3  
                                                 
1 Canon 1(A) states: 
An independent and honorable judiciary is indispensable to justice in our society. A judge 
should participate in establishing, maintaining and enforcing high standards of conduct, 
and shall personally observe those standards in order to preserve the integrity and 
independence of the judiciary. The provisions of this Code are to be construed and 
applied to further that objective. 
Ind. Judicial Conduct Canon 1(A). 
2 Canon 2(A) states, “A judge shall respect and comply with the law and shall act at all times in a manner 
that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.”  Jud. Canon 2(A). 
3 The Commission’s Public Admonition found that the Respondent’s behavior in 2002 violated 
Canons 1, 2, 2(B), and 3 of the Code of Judicial Conduct and constituted “conduct prejudicial to 
the administration of justice.”  (Stmt. of Circumstances & Conditional Agreement for Discipline, 
Ex. C.)   
 
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Finally, the Respondent and the Commission agree that a three-day suspension from office 
without salary is an appropriate sanction in this matter.  The Court accepts the agreement 
tendered by the Respondent and the Commission. 
Accordingly, the Respondent, Kenneth R. Scheibenberger, Judge of the Allen Superior 
Court, is hereby suspended from office without pay for a period of three (3) business days, which 
shall commence on Wednesday, February 11, 2009.  This discipline terminates the disciplinary 
proceedings relating to the circumstances giving rise to this cause.  The costs of this proceeding 
are assessed against the Respondent. 
 
SHEPARD, C.J., and DICKSON, SULLIVAN, BOEHM, and RUCKER, JJ., concur.