Porter Superior Court Judge Christopher Buckley pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor count of operating while intoxicated after he was arrested Saturday night in Michigan City with a blood alcohol content of .22%, almost three times the legal limit, according to court records.
Buckley, 46, of Valparaiso, was initially charged with two Level A misdemeanors, operating a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalent to .15% or more and operating a vehicle while intoxicated, endangering a person, and a Level C misdemeanor, operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
He waived his right to an initial hearing in LaPorte Circuit Court Monday and pleaded guilty to the Level C misdemeanor during an appearance before Magistrate John Link. He was sentenced to 180 days on probation and treatment to be monitored by JLAP, the Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program.
Buckley, who is seeking a second term as judge, took full responsibility for his actions in a statement released Monday afternoon and said he “made a series of poor decisions that ultimately led to an arrest” for operating while intoxicated.
He said he has decided to temporarily suspend his campaign for judicial office until further notice.
“I was/am a full-time judicial officer, and I feel strongly that officers of the court should be held to a higher standard of conduct than an ordinary citizen — much higher than the standard of conduct I displayed this past Saturday night,” Buckley said.
He added that he cooperated with police at the time of his arrest and he was treated fairly in court and did not receive any special treatment.
“I can place no blame on anyone but myself for this weekend’s actions. I am however grateful for the opportunity that this created to get help,” Buckley said, adding he has struggled with alcohol since his service in the Marine Corps more than 20 years ago.
Buckley also said he self-reported his conduct to the Indiana Judicial Qualifications Commission.
“He pleaded guilty at the first opportunity before the court,” said Buckley’s defense attorney, Mitch Peters. “He accepted responsibility and is holding himself responsible for his actions.”
According to the charges, an officer with the Michigan City Police Department stopped Buckley at around 9:05 p.m. Saturday in the 200 block of Heisman Harbor, driving and parking in an area that he was not supposed to be in.
Police said in the charging documents that Buckley, who was driving a 2024 gray Lincoln Navigator, reportedly had slurred, thick and slowed speech; had glassy, watery eyes; had unsteady balance; staggered from his vehicle; and had a “stand-offish” attitude. He reportedly failed two field sobriety tests and refused a chemical test, according to the charges.
A chemical test at Northwest Health-LaPorte showed Buckley’s blood-alcohol content at .221%. The legal limit in Indiana is .08%.
Buckley, who oversees Porter Superior Court 4 and first took office in January 2021, is on the ballot for his second term. A Republican, he faces Democrat Heather McCarthy in the November general election.
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McCarthy declined to comment on Buckley’s arrest.
“I’m focused for the next 77 days on talking with the community on why I will bring integrity, fairness and balance to that Court,” McCarthy, the Hobart city attorney, said in a text to the Post-Tribune.
Porter County Republican Party Chair Nathan Uldricks said the party is glad Buckley will be undergoing treatment.
“We’re a part of the law and we want the legal process to play out, whether you’re a judge or a regular person,” Uldricks said, adding that Buckley will remain on the November ballot because it’s too late to withdraw.
Porter County Democratic Party Chair Don Craft said he hopes Buckley “gets his personal life in order” and he assumed authorities will take care of the legal matters in the case.
“A DUI is unbecoming of a judge and I hope he considers stepping down from that position,” Craft said.
In November 2021, Buckley received a public admonishment from the Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications for his actions when he presided over the Lowell Town Court as its judge.
“Judge Buckley fully cooperated with the Commission in this matter and acknowledges he violated the Code of Judicial Conduct,” according to the admonition.
In that matter, according to the admonition, defendants before Buckley were given bail and then issued a “no bond” determination by Buckley when they were arrested on subsequent offenses.
“A review of the individual cases reveals that the files do not include any written motions to revoke or notations that an oral motion was made,” states the admonition.
Additionally, Buckley, according to online court records, was previously charged with a misdemeanor count of operating while intoxicated in Hobart City Court in 2009 and found guilty in that case. It’s not immediately clear from online court records how that case was resolved, though a citation for expired plates was dismissed in the same case.