04062004 - News Article - Kouros hearing April 22

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09242017 - News Article Links - Disparity of justice: Comparison of Magistrate James Johnson's and Judge Joan Kouros' judicial investigations - Backlog of court cases

Kouros hearing April 22
Post-Tribune (IN)
April 6, 2004
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.proxy.portagelibrary.info/resources/doc/nb/news/102240526052B8EC?p=AWNB
Lake Superior Court Judge Joan Kouros will get more time to prepare her case in which she hopes to stay on the bench.

Kouros was scheduled to appear before the Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications on Wednesday to begin proceedings to determine if she should remain as a judge.

But the hearing was postponed until April 22.

Kouros faces permanent removal from the bench on 78 disciplinary counts filed against her by the commission in September.

The charges are the result of Kouros failing to process important paperwork with hundreds of cases.

The Supreme Court began investigating Kouros in late 2002.

By January 2003, it issued an order that Kouros must meet certain standards.

The standards were not met.

Kouros, known to keep hundreds of case files in her chambers which goes against the order, was temporarily removed from her Courtroom 3 bench here. She was ordered to step down on July 1, but returned in early January.

In a court petition, Kouros indicated she suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder and multiple sclerosis, reasons blamed for the case backlog.

The Supreme Court ruled Kouros made "effective" use of her time during her removal.

But the Supreme Court's decision to return Kouros to the bench did not result in dismissal of disciplinary charges.

Through attorney Stanley Jablonski, Kouros has been trying to resolve the charges.

In late March, Kouros tendered to the commission a "conditional agreement to resolution of charges."

But the agreement was rejected and mandated Kouros appear before the commission.

"The proposed settlement is silent as to whether the directives of the Court are currently being followed and have been followed since the respondent's reinstatement...," the commission states in its order.

"The proposed settlement agreement fails to provide sufficient assurance that this important function is being properly served ... Under that circumstance, we cannot accept the agreement."

According to those who work in Kouros' court and in the Lake County clerk's office, the judge is not complying with the Supreme Court's order in dealing with the case backlog.