Allen Sharp

Allen J. Sharp (February 11, 1932 - July 9, 2009) was a United States federal judge.

Born in Washington, D.C., Sharp received a B.A. from Indiana State University in 1953, a J.D. from Indiana University School of Law in 1957, and later received a M.A. from Butler University in 1986. He was a U.S. Air Force Reserve Lieutenant Colonel from 1957 to 1984. He was in private practice of law in Williamsport, Indiana from 1957 to 1968. He was a judge of the Indiana Court of Appeals from 1969 to 1973.

On September 13, 1973, Sharp was nominated by President Richard M. Nixon to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana vacated by Robert A. Grant. Sharp was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 4, 1973, and received his commission on October 11, 1973. He served as chief judge from 1981–1996, and assumed senior status on November 1, 2007 and served in that capacity until his death. He taught at Butler University, Indiana University at South Bend, and Milligan College in Milligan, Tennessee. He was married twice. First to Beverly Jane Hawley n/k/a Beverly Jane Bontrager from May 1964 until their divorce in 1981. He was then married to Sara Roberts from 1982 until he divorced her in 1985 after she pleaded guilty to federal obstruction of justice charges stemming from her conduct while employed by the United States Probation Office prior to her marriage to Sharp. Judge Sharp had two daughters with his first wife, Crystal Sharp Bauer, 49 an attorney in Valparaiso, Indiana and Scarlet F. Thomas, 48 a stay at home mother living in Rockford Michigan. Sharp had three grandsons at the time of his death.^[1]

References

1. http://www.wlfi.com/dpp/news/local_wlfi_lafayette_federaljudgeallensharpdies_200907101805

Sources

• Allen Sharp at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.