Lawsuit on Indiana attorney general's fate likely blocked

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Lawyers for Republican Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill have further delayed action in a lawsuit seeking to remove him from office because of his law license suspension for groping a state legislator and three other women.

The attorney general's office on Friday filed a motion for a new judge to replace the Marion County judge appointed June 3 to oversee the lawsuit.

That means no court action is likely before Hill's 30-day law license suspension ends Wednesday, said William Groth, the lawyer who filed the suit on behalf of four Indianapolis residents.

'œWe won't have a new judge appointed until after Hill's suspension ends,'ť Groth said. 'œThey are using the rules to run out the clock.'ť

The lawsuit argues Hill no longer meets state law's requirement that the attorney general be 'œduly licensed to practice law in Indiana'ť and that Gov. Eric Holcomb should be allowed to appoint a replacement.

Hill's lawyers previously objected to a motion for a speedy ruling in the case and slowed down the process of selecting a new judge after the original one assigned to the case stepped down. The attorney general's office didn't immediately reply to messages seeking comment Friday.

Hill has denied doing anything wrong at a party marking the end of the 2018 state legislative session where the groping occurred. But a unanimous Supreme Court decision last month said the state's attorney disciplinary commission 'œproved by clear and convincing evidence that (Hill) committed the criminal act of battery.'ť