Man sentenced to 8 years for 2019 shooting of judges outside Indianapolis White Castle

INDIANAPOLIS — A judge has sentenced a man to eight years in prison for his involvement in a 2019 shooting of southern Indiana judges outside a Downtown Indianapolis White Castle

In addition, Brandon Kaiser was ordered to serve eight years of probation with two years suspended. He is the third and final person to be convicted and sentenced in the case, according to the Marion County Prosecutor's Office.

Last month, a jury convicted Kaiser on seven out of eight felony charges and one misdemeanor after a three-day trial.

Kaiser was found guilty on multiple charges of battery by means of a deadly weapon, one count of battery resulting in moderate bodily injury and carrying a handgun without a license. He was found not guilty on one count of battery resulting in moderate bodily injury.

Two other defendants — Alfredo Vasquez and Bradley Adams — were sentenced to one year of probation and a one-year suspended sentence, respectively. Vasquez pleaded guilty to battery resulting in injury and Adams pleaded guilty to battery.

According to court documents, Clark County Circuit judges Brad Jacobs and Andrew Adams were shot and wounded in the early morning hours on May 1, 2019, in the parking lot of White Castle on South Street near Lucas Oil Stadium.

During an altercation, shots were fired, striking Jacobs and Adams.

Kaiser was one of the men charged in connection with the shooting.

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In 2020, Kaiser’s attorney’s filed documents with the court that Kaiser and his friends were acting in self defense against the group of judges.

Court documents filed in October 2019 claimed that Crawford County Judge Sabrina Bell, who was with Jacobs and Adams at the time, flipped off Kaiser and his friend as they drove by the White Castle. Bell also told investigators that she may have said something to “egged on” Kaiser and his friend.

Adams accepted a plea agreement to plead guilty to battery resulting in bodily injury in September 2019. Under the plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to dismiss six additional charges against Adams. He received a suspended sentence of 365 days. Adams has also petitioned to be reinstated to the bench.

On October 11, 2019, the Indiana Commission of Judicial Qualifications filed disciplinary charges against the three judges involved.

Jacobs and Bell were both reinstated to the bench in December of that year after serving 30-day suspensions. Adams was ordered to serve a 60-day suspension.