ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. -- The St. Joseph Probate Court announced it has notified 862 litigants that they may have reason to seek further review of their cases that former Magistrate Aric Rutkowski presided over from June 2021 through December 2022.

The hundreds of litigants were sent the following notice:

"It has come to the Court’s attention that during the administration of your case, the presiding judicial officer, former Magistrate Aric Rutkowski, violated the Indiana Code of Judicial Conduct by engaging in a relationship with a deputy prosecutor assigned to this case. Your rights may have been affected. You may wish to seek further review of your case before the Court. While this may be done on your own, consultation with an attorney is always best practice."

The court states on May 29, Rutkowski resigned his position as Magistrate of the St. Joseph Probate Court, effective immediately.

Officials say at that time, Rutkowski disclosed he violated Indiana Code of Judicial Conduct, Sections 1.1 and 1.2, from June 2021 through December 2022, under the leadership of the former administration.

If you're concerned about your St. Joseph County court case, you should consult a lawyer.

You can find helpful information on Locate Your Lawyer or on the Indiana ABA website.