There will likely be another change of judges in Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita’s immigration-related lawsuit against St. Joseph County Sheriff Bill Redman.
Rokita’s lawsuit, filed in January, alleges the sheriff has had a policy of not cooperating with federal immigration officials when undocumented immigrants wind up in the jail. St. Joseph County Circuit Judge John Broden earlier this month removed himself from the case over a potential conflict of interest that he didn’t disclose. Now the case is in search of a judge again.
After Broden’s recusal, County Clerk Amy Rolfes randomly selected St. Joseph Superior Judge Mark Telloyan for the case, and Telloyan accepted the assignment Wednesday and gave the case a new cause number. But on Friday Redman’s attorneys filed a Change of Judge motion.
State trial rules allow both parties in a civil case to ask for a change of judge at least once without stating a reason, and Redman’s attorneys did not specify one.
Rokita is a Republican who is a strong supporter of President Trump. Redman is a Democrat. Telloyan is a former Republican county council member.
If Telloyan grants the motion, it will go back to Rolfes to randomly pick another judge.
