Marion County judge cancels upcoming trial in Curtis Hill groping case. So what's next?

A Marion County judge canceled the trial previously scheduled for next week in the civil lawsuit regarding the 2018 groping allegations against former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill, who is running for governor this year. But that does not mean the case itself is resolved.

Judge Patrick J. Dietrick in an order on Wednesday canceled the jury trial, which was scheduled to begin Monday, roughly a month before election day. The order states that Dietrick made the decision “upon consultation with the parties’ respective counsel and mediator.”

The involvement of a mediator indicates there might be a resolution outside of the courtroom between Hill and the four women, including a former state representative, who accused him of groping them at a gathering following the end of the 2018 legislative session.

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Kim Jeselskis, an attorney for the four women, declined to comment on the judge's order, but said she hoped to do so in the coming weeks. In a statement, Hill said a settlement has not been reached and that he intends to keep his attention on the governor’s race.

“Our campaign remains focused on sharing our message with Hoosier voters and highlighting our proven conservative record,” Hill said in the statement.

A 2018 IndyStar investigation revealed allegations from the four women who said Hill groped them at a post-legislative session gathering at an Indianapolis bar. Hill denied the allegations at the time and continues to do so on the gubernatorial campaign trail.

A special prosecutor in late 2018 declined to file criminal charges against Hill and a federal lawsuit filed by the women was dismissed in March 2020. That same year the Supreme Court decided Hill violated professional rules of conduct and committed criminal battery, and suspended Hill's law license for a month.

Hill’s accusers refiled their lawsuit, the one that was scheduled for trial next week, in Marion County court in July 2020. Already the trial was delayed twice.

IndyStar reporter Kayla Dwyer contributed to this story. 

Contact IndyStar's state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at [email protected] or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter/X@CarloniBrittany.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Marion County judge cancels upcoming trial in Curtis Hill groping case