'Tyrant' Indiana judge asked to resign, banned for life after alleged unfair treatment

by WKRC

INDIANAPOLIS (WKRC) — A "tyrant" judge from the State of Indiana was asked to resign and permanently banned from the Indiana judicial system after alleged unfair treatment of defendants.

According to court documents, the Indiana Supreme Court has ruled that Judge Matthew J. Elkin of the Howard Superior Court engaged in judicial misconduct, leading to his resignation and a permanent ban from judicial service. 

The court found that Elkin failed to disqualify himself from cases involving former clients, made inappropriate comments to problem-solving court participants and showed favoritism towards certain litigants while degrading others.

Elkin, who began his tenure as a judge in January 2023, was previously a public defender and had represented participants in Howard County's Drug Court and Re-Entry Court. Despite this, he presided over at least eleven cases involving former clients without disqualifying himself until the Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications initiated an inquiry.

The court's findings detailed several instances of misconduct, including a tactic Elkin called "Game or Jail," where he threatened participants with jail time based on the actions of others.

In one instance, he told a domestic violence survivor, "If I smack the sh*t out of you right now, what chemicals get dumped in your brain? The exact same chemicals he experiences when he wins the Super Bowl" when speaking on why "women don't leave" abusive relationships.

• The following is what Elkin said during a hearing with the domestic violence survivor, according to the Indiana Supreme Court:

"Do you know who Tom Brady is? How many Super Bowls? Seven Super Bowls he’s won. When Tom Brady wins a Super Bowl, his brain is filled with all kinds of neurochemicals."

"All right? And he gets to scream, you know, I’m going to Disney World ... Now, I know he’s not married, he’s not in a relationship anymore, but what he used to be able to do is he got two big brain rushes because he got to go I won the Super Bowl and then the next thought is I get to f*ck the super model. Okay?“

"If I smack the sh*t out of you right now, what chemicals get dumped in your brain? The exact same chemicals he experiences when he wins the Super Bowl. Did you know that? So the whole thing is every time I beat you up or you beat me up, we won the Super Bowl"

"So if I smack you in the head and you feel the exact same way so you can enjoy the relationship. That’s what happens."

“That’s the truth. That’s why women don’t leave. It gets worse. He experiences it once because he won the Super Bowl. You can cause yourself to experience that emotion at least two more times after you’ve been hit. One is if you feel guilty about having had your a*s licked, the exact same chemicals dump into your brain. You feel real shame over it. Then if you get angry over the fact that this person did it to you, it happens a third time. Here’s the deal, I can train an entire lifetime for one shot at winning the Super Bowl and experiencing that elation, or I can have somebody kick my a*s and I can do it three times. Which is easier?“

"You don’t deserve this chance. You don’t deserve it. ... I know what’s wrong with you and I know how to fix you.“

"You’re not even my property yet. Do you know that you’re the Department of Correction’s property for 98 days, right? No, six months. Right?"

• Other incidents, according to the Indiana Supreme Court

Elkin was also accused of providing preferential treatment to some participants, such as offering housing through his wife's rental property and allowing participants to use his personal vehicle. Additionally, he was found to have inadequately supervised employees and possibly misused court funds, per the documents.

Officials said "a presiding judge's demeanor has an outsized impact" on problem-solving court participants because of the way courts are structured, adding that Elkin understood that, but still "wielded his position of power like a tyrant," per WXIN.

Elkin was accused of breaking eight judicial rules, including the following, according to the outlet:

• Acting in a way that promotes public confidence in the judicial system

• No presiding over cases that you have a personal or extrajudicial connection to

• Uphold and apply the law and perform all duties fairly and impartially

• Requiring order and decorum during court proceedings

The Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications filed a "Notice of the Institution of Formal Proceedings and Statement of Charges" against Elkin, leading to a joint agreement for his resignation and permanent ban from judicial service.

The Commission has agreed to discontinue further investigations following Elkin's agreement to repay any unauthorized funds.

According to WXIN, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled that Elkin must leave his office no later than September 30. He will retain his law license, however, per the outlet. 

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'Tyrant' Indiana judge asked to resign, banned for life after alleged unfair treatment