No recusal because defendant and judge aided same charity
A magistrate judge in Indiana has refused to recuse himself from hearing a civil suit where the defendant helped a charity and possibly made contributions when the judge had been an ex officio director of the group. Bennie Kennedy sued Schneider Electric in the Northern District of Indiana. The case was assigned to Magistrate Judge Joseph Kolar. Kennedy sought to disqualify Kolar from hearing the case. Kolar was a supporter of the Shedd Aquarium and by reason of his presidency of the Auxiliary Board in 2011-2913 was an ex officio member of the board of the Aquarium. Schneider Electric had collaborated with the Aquarium on a solar panel project in 2013 and may have made a charitable...
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