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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Two Marion County judges and one Vigo County judge are facing disciplinary action following a yearslong pattern of negligence, staff mismanagement, and significant delays in the courtroom.

The Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications announced the actions Monday in Indianapolis. While one judge received a public admonition, the other two face formal charges for violating the state’s Code of Judicial Conduct.

Vigo County: Judge Matthew A. Sheehan

The commission issued a public admonition of Vigo Superior Court 5 Judge Matthew A. Sheehan after he acknowledged he violated judicial rules. Sheehan cooperated with the investigation and apologized for an unreasonable delay in a divorce case.

The delay happened when Sheehan served as a special judge in a July 2022 case. The Indiana Supreme Court eventually removed him from the case in July 2025. However, the woman involved in the case died before a new judge could issue a final decision.

Sheehan admitted to violating rules that require judges to promote public confidence in the judiciary and to perform their duties promptly and diligently. The commission noted that delays in justice can cause significant harm to the people involved.

Because Sheehan agreed to the public admonition, he will not face formal disciplinary charges. He is represented by attorney Jennifer Lukemeyer.

Marion County: Judge Jose D. Salinas

The commission filed five counts of misconduct against Marion Superior Court 23 Judge Jose D. Salinas. The charges allege a recurring pattern of failing to supervise court staff and failing to act in several criminal cases.

According to the commission, staff errors under Salinas’ supervision led to:

• Delayed releases for criminal defendants.
• Missing court dates and orders.
• Cases that were not properly cleared or expunged.

The commission also alleges that Salinas failed to take action in criminal cases, leading to delays and eventual dismissals. Salinas has 20 days to file an answer to the charges. He is represented by attorney James J. Bell.

Marion County: Judge Geoffrey A. Gaither

Marion Superior Court 9 Judge Geoffrey A. Gaither also faces three counts of misconduct for failing to act in cases and failing to supervise his staff.

The commission alleges Gaither:

• Failed to promptly set or rule on motions, leading to cases being removed from his court.
• Failed to supervise a magistrate, which caused case delays.
• Failed to supervise staff, leading to case dismissals and incorrect legal entries.

Gaither has 20 days to file an answer to the charges. He is represented by attorney Gregory H. Coleman.

Next Steps

The Indiana Supreme Court has the final authority to decide if misconduct occurred. The court can dismiss the charges, accept a disciplinary agreement, or impose sanctions. These sanctions range from a public reprimand to a permanent ban from holding judicial office in Indiana.

INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — Carmel Mayor Sue Finkam gave residents a detailed update this week on flood recovery efforts, one month after historic flooding swept through the city.

According to Finkam, here’s where things stand:

The City’s 30-inch raw water main remains out of service, leaving three wells disconnected.

In the meantime, Finkam says a temporary connection is currently in the works while they develop permanent solutions. “We are meeting current water demand and have stored water available,” Finkam said.

The 12-inch water main will be reconnected with the bridge and road reconstruction. Finkam says the city will move forward with a new six-inch line along 96th street to serve the wastewater plant.

Blue Woods Creek needs to be rerouted, and Finkam says its future path is still being evaluated. Once that’s determined, the city plans to lower and reinforce two wastewater force mains to guard against future erosion. Early testing on those mains showed they’re in good shape.

Hamilton County will begin demolishing the damaged Hazel Dell bridge next week. The city has already opened a new roundabout at 106th Street and Hazel Dell Parkway to help ease traffic during reconstruction.

Hazel Landing Park remains closed.

“Our goal isn’t to put things back together exactly as they were, but to rebuild them to be more resilient,” Finkam wrote.

Hazel Dell Parkway was wiped out by flooding along the White River in August, threatening the city’s water main. Hamilton County officials previously said repairs will take about 60 days, with construction expected to finish by end of 2027.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A person is in critical condition after being shot on the city’s northeast side Sunday night.

According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, at 8:48 p.m., officers responded to the 4100 block of Edgemere Court on a report of a person shot. That location is near two different apartment complexes off 42nd Street.

Arriving officers found a male with injuries consistent with a gunshot wound.

Police said he was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

No further information was immediately available, and police are asking anyone with information to come forward.

This is a developing story. News 8 has a crew at the scene. Check back for updates.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Two people were injured, one in critical condition, after a stolen car fleeing police plunged into Fall Creek near downtown Indianapolis Sunday morning.

An Indiana State Police trooper found the stolen car near Interstate 70 and Post Road just after 9 a.m. The driver sped away westbound on I-70 when the trooper tried to stop the car, starting a chase.

As the chase approached downtown, the driver turned onto the northbound lanes of Interstate 65 while traveling south, according to police. The trooper ended the chase because the suspect was driving the wrong way on the interstate.

Shortly after, police found the car crashed and submerged in Fall Creek.

When emergency responders arrived, they found a man swimming to the shore, and police took him into custody.

Rescuers also found a female still inside the sunken car. First responders jumped into the water and pulled her from the vehicle, and she was taken to the hospital in “very critical condition.”

State police detectives and crash reconstructionists are investigating the crash. Officers expect to provide an update on Monday.

Police did not provide further information on the incident.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Colts lost to the Ravens, 41-23, in the season opener.

The Colts defense struggled, giving up over 300 yards in the first half and over 500 yards for the game. Lamar Jackson threw for over 300 yards and Derrick Henry had three rushing touchdowns.

The Colts offense scored on its first drive of the game, but after that, the Ravens scored 28 straight points.

The Colts will travel to Kansas City to play the Chiefs in Week 2. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 p.m.

This story will be updated.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A man was killed early Sunday morning in the 6300 block of West 34th Street, police say.

According to police reports, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were sent to the 6300 block of West 34th Street just after 3:00 a.m. Sunday on reports of a person stabbed.

Once on the scene, officers located a man with injuries consistent with stab wounds. The man was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. He later died in the hospital.

According to police, homicide detectives are investigating the scene to gather forensic evidence. Police encourage anybody with information about this investigation to contact detective Christopher Williams at (317)-327-3475 or Christopher.Williams4@indy.gov.

This is a developing story and will be updated when more information is available.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The average price of a gallon of diesel in the U.S. hit $6.16 on Saturday, the highest price ever recorded, according to AAA.

This is a massive jump from the $3.70 a gallon it was one year prior.

30 days ago, a gallon of diesel was priced at $5.38.

Unlike its low gasoline prices, Indiana does not seem to be insulated from the rising price of diesel, with gas stations throughout Indianapolis selling it for more than $6 a gallon on Saturday.

Jaskeerat Sidhu, a local truck driver, said the high diesel prices, have him feeling frustrated.

“With diesel, you gotta fuel up every single day, right? You’re filling up a hundred, two hundred gallons of diesel every single day.”

Another local truck driver, Todd Hughes, said, “It affects me really bad. Prices are high. They go up and down, but most of the time they’re up.”

Shoppers may feel more and more sticker shock, particularly in the grocery aisle. Perishable foods, like meat and produce, face one of the most immediate strains of expensive diesel because they need to be hauled in and restocked frequently — or may be harvested using farm equipment powered by the fuel.

Fuel accounts for roughly 15% to 30% of the total cost of food, according to the Independent Grocers Alliance, a grouping of 7,500 global supermarkets. So higher diesel costs often result in more expensive groceries, although it can take a while for energy shocks to wind their way through the supply chain, according to the Associated Press.

“We’re the ones that bring materials to places. Without us, what do you have?” Hughes said.

A long road of constrained supply — and perhaps higher and higher prices — could be ahead.