Letter: Letter to the editor: State should consider racial fairness in Hill discipline

<p><strong>To the editor:</strong></p><p>I was disappointed to hear that Gov. Holcomb was not supporting Curtis Hill, an elected, black, attorney general for Indiana, when allegations were presented against him in 2018.</p><p>Curtis Hill has had no criminal or ethical charges filed against him, and he has denied any wrongdoing. No proof has ever been presented, yet the Indiana Supreme Court disciplinary commission is considering a two-year suspension that would force his resignation from elected office.</p><p>I read with much interest Christine Scales’ recent article in the Indianapolis Star about the &quot;ongoing racial disparities within the state’s attorney disciplinary processes,&quot; especially when compared to the case of two white Indiana judges who were involved in a shooting during a drunken altercation with two other men in downtown Indianapolis.</p><p>One of the judges, Andrew Adams, was charged with seven counts of felony misdemeanors. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year in jail that he has not served any time as of yet. He was suspended from the bench with pay and was set to be automatically reinstated to the bench on Jan. 13 of this year. The other judge had a 30-day suspension without pay and was reinstated to his judgeship position on Dec. 23, 2019.</p><p>Scales goes on in her article to talk about &quot;light punishments for egregious actions perpetrated by white male attorneys … who accrued numerous professional and ethical violations over a period of years.&quot; I am surprised that the Indiana supreme Court commission of race and gender fairness is continuing to allow these blatantly obvious racial inequities, whenever their title would indicate otherwise. Should we not demand, along with the governor of Indiana, that there be a stop to this racial discrimination in our state’s legal processes?</p><p>The seriousness of the charge should not override the automatic assumption that a man is innocent until proven guilty. I agree with Scales’s statement that, &quot;Hill’s alleged personal transgressions must not be found to be more flagrant and more severely punished than those of white attorneys with criminal convictions.&quot; I urge Gov. Holcomb and the Indiana Supreme Court to consider racial fairness as they proceed.</p><p><p><strong>Julie Ford</strong></p><p><p><strong>Franklin</strong></p>