J. Steven Cox Reprimanded Removed

J. Steven Cox, who served on the Franklin Circuit Court in Indiana for nearly 30 years, was permanently banned from all future judicial service by the Indiana Supreme Court on March 19, 2026, over what the court called "egregious misconduct." The court found that in January 2023, while presiding over a Level 1 felony case against defendant Gregory Guilfoyle, Cox personally visited Guilfoyle at his parents' home and discussed his physical and mental condition with him and his family — without notifying either side's attorneys or allowing them to participate, a clear ex parte communication.

The court also found Cox had, for a two-year period, refused to accept any written plea agreement presented to his court, in violation of judicial conduct rules. Cox was publicly reprimanded and declared permanently ineligible for any future judicial role, including as a judge pro tempore or senior judge.