The Munster Times is among the papers today reporting that Judge Joan Kouros has been removed from the bench, pending a final decision by the Supreme Court. Per our 7/16/04 entry, also quoting the Munster Times:
The Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications filed a recommendation late Wednesday [July 14] that Kouros be permanently removed from the Lake County Criminal Court bench.Today's story reports that Judge Kouros has now been suspended:Until the state Supreme Court makes that decision, the commission asked the state's highest jurists to follow their own rule and suspend Kouros with pay. As of 5 p.m. Thursday, the court had not ordered Kouros suspended. * * *
All Kouros can do now is get her response to the Judicial Qualifications recommendation to the Supreme Court by Aug. 13. Even after her response is filed, Kouros will remain suspended with pay until the Supreme Court decides whether to take her off the bench permanently or reinstate her.Posted by Marcia Oddi at July 23, 2004 12:01 PMKouros' lawyer, Kevin McGoff, said he and Stanley Jablonski are working with Kouros to file her response within the 30 days after the commission's recommendation.
"The order (for suspension) comes as no particular surprise because that's how the rule operates," McGoff said. "We are prepared to file our response in a timely manner and to go forward from there."