A Superior Court judge suspended last fall when he was indicted on charges of stealing $15,675 from the court registry told a state judicial watchdog panel Friday that he made “a big mistake” when he directed a court clerk to pay him the money.

But Judge Robert M. “Mack” Crawford insisted during the second day of an ethics hearing on charges that he violated the state Judicial Code of Ethics that he has a legitimate claim to money he deposited in the Pike County court registry 17 years ago for two former clients.