Doug Bernacchi
Doug Bernacchi was a candidate for the 60th circuit court of St. Joseph County, Indiana.[1] Bernacchi was defeated in the general election on November 8, 2016.
Bernacchi was also a 1992 candidate for the U.S. Congress.
Elections
2016
Doug Bernacchi ran unopposed in the Republican primary for the Indiana 60th Circuit Court in St. Joseph County.[2]
| 60th Circuit Court, St. Joseph County, Republican primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Doug Bernacchi (unopposed) |
100.00% | 24,041 | |
| Total Votes | 24,041 | |||
| Source: Indiana Election Division, "Election Results: Indiana Primary Election," May 3, 2016 | ||||
Indiana held general elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. A primary election took place on May 3, 2016. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was February 5, 2016. John Broden (D) defeated Doug Bernacchi (R) in the general election for the Indiana 60th Circuit Court in St. Joseph County.[2]
| 60th Circuit Court, St. Joseph County, General election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | John Broden |
54.93% | 57,520 | |
| Republican | Doug Bernacchi | 45.07% | 47,201 | |
| Total Votes | 104,721 | |||
| Source: Indiana Secretary of State, "Unofficial election results," accessed November 9, 2016 | ||||
In the news
Law license suspended
A complaint was filed against Bernacchi on December 14, 2015, alleging that he violated five of Indiana's Rules of Professional Conduct during a 2013 child support case. Bernacchi said, "It’s relatively minor. . . . In a contract, I left out the word 'grand' in front of 'son.' I think perhaps it was filed to keep me from running for judge."[1]
Bernacchi said that he did not believe the misconduct case would hurt him in the election. He said, "It shows that I’m not part of the fraternity, that I’m an outsider. I think voters will see that I am a human being and more qualified than most. People make mistakes. I’m innocent. I deny everything in the complaint."[1]
On October 17, 2017, the Indiana Supreme Court suspended Bernacchi's law license. "The court found that Doug Bernacchi incompetently represented a client, charged an unreasonable fee, improperly used and split his fee with a non-lawyer assistant, and attempted to obstruct the attorney disciplinary process. Bernacchi admitted to the allegations in a sworn deposition in August 2016 but had been arguing for a lower penalty," according to the South Bend Tribune.[3]
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 South Bend Tribune, "Judge candidate faces attorney misconduct charges," February 6, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Indiana.gov, "May 3, 2016 Primary Election Candidates," accessed February 17, 2016
- ↑ South Bend Tribune, "Former judge candidate Doug Bernacchi suspended from law practice," October 17, 2017
Federal courts:
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Indiana, Southern District of Indiana • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Indiana, Southern District of Indiana
State courts:
Indiana Supreme Court • Indiana Court of Appeals • Indiana Tax Court • Indiana Superior Courts • Indiana Circuit Courts • Indiana City Courts • Indiana County Courts • Indiana Municipal Courts • Indiana Small Claims Courts • St. Joseph County Probate Court • Indiana Town Courts
State resources:
Courts in Indiana • Indiana judicial elections • Judicial selection in Indiana
