Opinion ID: 852732
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Respondent's Resignation

Text: Two days after the Masters filed their Report, the Commission filed its Recommendation, see Admis. Disc. R. 25(VIII)(O), asking that the Masters' Report be adopted in its entirety and that Respondent be removed from office, deemed permanently ineligible for judicial office, suspended from the practice of law pending further order from this Court, and have all costs of this proceeding assessed against him. Instead of contesting the Masters' Report and/or the Commission's Recommendation through a Petition For Review, see Admis. Disc. R. 25(VIII)(P), Respondent tendered his resignation to this Court. In his resignation, Respondent apologize[d] to the young people who were involved in the events underlying the charges of misconduct which were brought against [him], expressed deep remorse[] for the negative impact [his] actions ... had on all those directly involved, expressed regret [for] the negative reflection of [his] conduct on [his] colleagues on the bench and at the bar, and stated he has conscientiously performed [his] duties as Judge of [the] Elkhart Superior Court and regret[s] that [his] actions of[f] the bench have dishonored the office and system [he] value[s] so highly. On November 21, 2005, we accepted Respondent's resignation by published order. In that order, we, among other things: (1) permanently prohibited Respondent from seeking or accepting any judicial office and from serving in any judicial capacity in Indiana; (2) assessed costs and expenses of this matter against him; (3) ordered that his suspension from the practice of law, see Admis. Disc. R. 25(III)(C); Ind. Const. art. 7, § 11, remain in effect until the costs assessed against him in this matter [2] are paid in full; and (4) stated that our order constituted a finding of professional discipline that would be required to be reported to other jurisdictions in which Respondent might seek admission as a lawyer. In re Pfaff, 837 N.E.2d 497 (Ind., 2005) (published order accepting resignation). As indicated in that order, we now issue this published opinion to document the circumstances surrounding Respondent's resignation. SHEPARD, C.J., and DICKSON, SULLIVAN, BOEHM, and RUCKER, JJ., concur.