Lake Superior Court Judge Calvin Hawkins

30-day suspension begins for Judge Calvin Hawkins

Contributed By: The 411 News

Lake Superior Court Judge Calvin Hawkins will be absent from his courtroom in East Chicago for 30 days, on an order from the Indiana Supreme Court.

Hawkins’ unpaid suspension began at 12:01 March 31, 2025. He will be reinstated to office at 12:01 a.m. on April 30, 2025. Hawkins is the presiding judge in the Lake Superior Court’s Civil Division Room Two.

Disciplinary charges against Judge Hawkins were filed on December 2, 2024 by the Court’s 7-member Commission on Judicial Qualifications. The Commission had investigated allegations of sexual harassment from Hawkins’ court staff and found probable cause to warrant formal charges of judicial misconduct against Hawkins.

The 5-member Indiana Supreme Court had final authority to determine what, if any, judicial misconduct occurred.

The Court had the authority to dismiss the charges, accept or reject a disciplinary agreement between the Commission and Judge Hawkins, appoint a panel of judges to conduct a public hearing, impose a fine, or impose sanctions ranging from a reprimand to a suspension to a permanent ban on holding judicial office in Indiana.

The Court’s decision was 3 in favor of the sanction and 2 opposed. Associate Judges Mark Massa, Geoffrey Slaughter, and Derek Molter concurred. Chief Justice Loretta Rush and Associate Judge Christopher Goff dissented, believing Hawkins should be removed from office due to his repeated acts of sexual harassment in the workplace.

In favoring sanctions, the Supreme Court noted Hawkins willingness to cooperate with the Commission and the judge had not faced prior judicial or attorney discipline. They noted Hawkins has been given numerous awards over the years, such as honorary doctorates and the Sagamore of the Wabash.

The Court wrote in their February 26, 2025 opinion, “While these experiences further illustrate the depth of the trust betrayed, they also reflect Respondent’s capacity to regain it and to reform.”

“By accepting his office, a judge undertakes to conduct himself in both his official and personal behavior in accordance with the highest standard that society can expect. And our own rules require judges to avoid even the appearance of impropriety,” the Court wrote. “Respondent’s misconduct was serious, included repeated physical advances toward employees despite their express rejections, and was an abject abuse of his position and power. Through his pattern of misconduct, Respondent has fallen far short of the standard required of him.”

Story Posted:04/02/2025