'They discredited the entire Indiana judiciary': Judges in White Castle fight suspended

Andrew Clark and Crystal Hill, Indianapolis StarPublished 12:59 p.m. ET Nov. 12, 2019 | Updated 2:16 p.m. ET Nov. 15, 2019Muncie Mayor Dennis Tyler was arrested on Nov. 18, 2019. Here's what we know about his arrest by the FBI and the corruption case engulfing Muncie's government.Dwight Adams

Three Indiana judges involved in a Downtown Indianapolis fight in May that ended with two of the judges shot have been suspended without pay after the Indiana Supreme Court determined they committed judicial misconduct.

In an opinion issued Tuesday, the court said judges Bradley Jacobs, Andrew Adams and Sabrina Bell "engaged in judicial misconduct by appearing in public in an intoxicated state and behaving in an injudicious manner and by becoming involved in a verbal altercation."

Adams' whole blood alcohol level was approximately 0.157 upon admission to the hospital, and Jacobs' was approximately 0.13, according to the opinion. Bell's blood alcohol level was not tested, "but she was intoxicated enough that she lacks any memory of the incident," per the opinion.

Additionally, Adams and Jacobs "engaged in judicial misconduct by becoming involved in a physical altercation for which Judge Adams was criminally charged and convicted," the court said in its opinion.

Judges Andrew Adams, left and Brad Jacobs (Photo: File)

Adams, who was the only judge criminally charged in the case, pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor battery in September. He received a sentence of 365 days in jail, a credit for two days served. The remaining 363 days of the sentence were suspended, meaning Adams served no additional jail time.

All three judges received suspensions, but will eventually return to their offices. Adams was suspended without pay for 60 days beginning Tuesday, the court said. He will be reinstated as judge of the Clark Circuit Court 1 on Jan. 13.