Porter Superior Court Judge Christopher Buckley allegedly kept “a case of Irish Pub Pack beer” under a coat rack where he hung his robe and arrived at work “reeking” of alcohol in early May, according to judicial misconduct charges filed against him Friday.
The allegations came to light during the Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications’ investigation into misconduct by Buckley, who faces the disciplinary charges after his drunken driving arrest and conviction in August.
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Buckley, according to the commission notice, allegedly violated codes of judicial conduct when he was convicted of drunken driving and when he referred to his status as a judge during his arrest.
The notice also includes details about an “alcohol-related domestic incident” two years ago that resulted in a “Deferred Resolution Agreement” with the commission, an agreement that was rescinded as a result of Buckley’s drunken driving conviction.
Buckley, 46, of Valparaiso, did not respond to a request for comment. A Republican who is on the ballot but suspended his campaign after his August conviction, Buckley has 20 days to respond to the charges if he so chooses, according to a release from the Indiana Supreme Court.
The commission alleges that Buckley violated the Code of Judicial Conduct with his arrest and subsequent conviction for a Class A misdemeanor for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
Buckley’s alleged actions during his arrest, including frequent comments to police that he was a judge and the arrest would “ruin” his career, account for the second violation of the code of conduct.
Buckley, during his arrest, also reportedly “mentioned that the judge who signed the search warrant was his friend and that the Fraternal Order of Police had endorsed him in his judicial campaign,” according to the documents.
“It is improper for a judge to use or attempt to use his or her position to gain personal advantage or deferential treatment of any kind. For example, it would be improper for a judge to allude to his or her judicial status to gain favorable treatment in encounters with traffic officials,” documents state.
Buckley was arrested on a Saturday night and, by Monday afternoon, had already signed a plea agreement and been sentenced in the drunken driving case.
Records provided to the Post-Tribune through a request to the Michigan City Police Department detailed the night of Buckley’s arrest, his refusal to take a breath test at the scene and his trip to a nearby hospital for a blood draw, per a warrant signed off by a LaPorte County prosecutor, that revealed his blood-alcohol concentration was 0.221%, almost three times Indiana’s legal limit of 0.08%.
Buckley was initially charged with two Class 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 Class C misdemeanor, operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
Buckley pleaded guilty to the Class C misdemeanor. He was sentenced to six months on probation; a suspended sentence of 60 days in jail, with two days of credit for time served and good behavior; and treatment and monitoring through the state’s Judicial and Legal Assistance Program, or JLAP.
After he was sentenced, Buckley issued a statement acknowledging his mistake and his struggle with alcohol. Buckley, a Republican on the November ballot for a second term as judge, also temporarily suspended his campaign after his guilty plea.
According to the police report and charging documents, around 9:05 p.m. on Aug. 15, off-duty police providing security for an outdoor concert along the lakefront near Bartlett’s Fish Camp saw a vehicle go around large concrete planters and pull into a restricted area.
An officer approached Buckley’s vehicle and asked if he could help. Buckley, according to the police report, responded with “Can’t you read?” and motioned toward the driver’s side of his 2024 Lincoln Navigator.
“At that point I saw that the wording spanning both doors said Keep BUCKLEY JUDGE in large letters,” the police report states.
The 12-page notice of proceedings from the judicial commission outlines additional allegations against Buckley beyond his arrest in Michigan City along the lakefront.
The notice details an “alcohol-related domestic incident” that occurred Sept. 5, 2024, which Buckley self-reported to the commission and which resulted in a Valparaiso Police Department report.
“In the report, Respondent’s wife alleged that Respondent had engaged in intimidating conduct approximately one week before the incident. On the night Respondent’s wife contacted police, Respondent had consumed alcohol, and the couple became involved in a marital dispute,” documents state.
That matter was referred to Indiana State Police for an investigation and a special prosecutor decided not to file criminal charges, according to the documents. Buckley and his wife are separated with divorce proceedings pending, according to the notice.
The commission, in response to Buckley’s self-reporting, sent out a notice of inquiry. Ultimately, according to the documents, Buckley told the commission that he was in an intensive outpatient recovery program and was undergoing additional counseling.
In March 2025, Buckley and the commission entered into a “Deferred Resolution Agreement” to remain in place for two years, under which Buckley was to continue treatment and therapy, among other measures.
If Buckley failed to comply with the terms of the agreement, the commission reserved the right to take further action, including initiating formal proceedings against Buckley, and the commission reserved the right to withdraw from the agreement if Buckley “committed additional misconduct warranting discipline during the deferral period,” according to the notice.
“Respondent’s arrest and subsequent conviction for Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated triggered the Commission’s rescission of the Deferred Resolution and its vote to issue a Notice of Investigation,” the notice states.
Also noted was a 2009 arrest and conviction in Hobart for a Class A misdemeanor count of operating while intoxicated, in which an infraction for driving with expired plates was dismissed.
Buckley was in law school at the time and was not yet an attorney, according to the charges. That conviction is reflected on public online court records.
The commission also issued a public admonition against Buckley in November 2021 for failing to follow statutory guidelines regarding revoking a defendant’s bond and for failing to give defendants notice of bond revocations and an opportunity to respond while he was Lowell’s town judge.
Buckley served in that capacity from January 2016 through February 2020, per the notice, and began his first term as presiding judge of Porter Superior Court 4 in January 2021. The admonition also has been publicly reported.
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During the course of the investigation into Buckley’s conduct, “the Commission received information and confirmed that Respondent had a case of Irish Pub Pack beer in his chambers, located under the coat rack where Respondent hung his judicial robe,” documents state.
Additionally, “the Commission was informed by court staff that on May 6, 2026, Respondent arrived at work ‘reeking’ of alcohol,” according to the misconduct charges.
Buckley has not served in court since his arrest. Different senior judges have been appointed each week to oversee the courtroom in his absence. The Indiana Supreme Court has appointed Senior Judge Michael N. Pagano to serve in Buckley’s place.
Buckley has said he won’t step down from the bench as he deals with the repercussions of his conviction. His six-year term expires at the end of the year.
“Despite the urging of the local Democrat party, my sound judgment was never once compromised, and I feel I am competent to continue serving if the people of Porter County so decide. By law, I will be on the ballot regardless of my intention, and I do not intend to resign as the local democrats urge me to do,” Buckley has said.
Porter County Democratic Party Chair Don Craft had urged Buckley to withdraw from the race and resign from his post.
When contacted by the Post-Tribune for comment, Porter County Republican Party Chair Nate Uldricks said he had not seen the charges but would have to review them carefully, and declined further comment, other than to note that Buckley remains on the ballot.
Democrat Heather McCarthy, Buckley’s opponent in the general election, said via text that her focus remains on the people of Porter County and serving them with the steadiness, fairness and integrity that they deserve.
“I have seen Judge Buckley’s previous statements and I pray he is getting the care he needs,” she said, declining to comment on the pending misconduct cases against him.
As a judge, Buckley oversaw misdemeanor and low-level felony cases, as well as the county’s mental health problem-solving court, according to his campaign website, which was still online Friday.
The Supreme Court has final authority to determine what, if any, judicial misconduct occurred, according to a release. The court can dismiss the charges, accept or reject a disciplinary agreement between the commission and Buckley, 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.