Judge steps away from veteran court case

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - A different judge has been assigned to determine the sentence for a Lafayette veteran who fired shots outside a bar last year.

You may remember, last month 24-year-old Eric Braman was found not guilty on a felony charge of criminal recklessness and guilty of a misdemeanor charge of carrying a handgun without a license.

Judge Les Meade rejected a plea deal for Braman in May.

He also rejected a “change of venue” petition a few weeks later in which Braman's attorney Daniel Moore claimed judicial bias.

On September 5, Judge Meade issued an order recusing himself.  No reason is given in court documents.

Judge Thomas Busch has been randomly assigned the case by the Tippecanoe County Clerk's office.

Sentencing had been scheduled for Sept. 27, but that will be rescheduled.

Daniel Moore declined to make a comment to News 18.