The Supreme Court of Georgia is delaying a decision on whether to permanently remove a suspended superior court judge facing a criminal indictment until the state Court of Appeals decides whether the state judicial watchdog that recommended the action is legal.

The high court’s decision postpones the removal of Pike County Superior Court Judge Robert “Mack” Crawford, a former state legislator, from his judicial post for ethics violations associated with the December 2017 theft of more than $15,000 from his court’s registry. The JQC suspended Crawford with pay in December, and its hearing panel recommended Crawford’s removal in April after a two-day ethics hearing.