U.S. District Judge Gretchen Lund Recuses Herself from James Snyder’s Case

On Friday, December 19, 2025, the Chicago Tribune reported that U.S. District Judge Gretchen Lund has recused herself from the case of James Snyder, according to recent court filings.

The specific reason for her recusal was not disclosed, but the filing referenced a section of the U.S. code that outlines various grounds for such actions. These include a lack of impartiality, a financial connection to the case, prior involvement in the case, or a familial connection, such as a judge’s spouse being linked to the case.

As a result of Judge Lund’s recusal, Snyder’s scheduled sentencing date of January 14 has been cancelled. A status phone conference is now scheduled for January 20 at 11 a.m. EST, to be presided over by Chief Judge Holly A. Brady in Fort Wayne. Court documents indicate that Judge Brady will eventually reassign the case to a different judge. Judge Lund had been overseeing the case since December 2024.

This development marks the latest chapter in a legal saga that began nine years ago when Snyder was initially indicted. The charges included one count of defrauding the IRS and two counts of bribery, specifically related to towing contracts and garbage trucks.

In a previous trial held in U.S. District Court in Hammond, Snyder was found not guilty on the charge involving towing contracts. However, he was twice convicted on the garbage truck charge. This particular aspect of the case eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in June of the previous year that the $13,000 payment Snyder received in connection with the garbage truck contract constituted a gratuity rather than a bribe. The Supreme Court reasoned that the payment was made after the contract was awarded, not before. Consequently, the case was sent back to the lower courts.

Separately, Snyder was convicted on the charge of defrauding the IRS, which pertained to his personal business dealings rather than his official duties as mayor. This conviction has remained unchallenged.

While Snyder was initially scheduled for a third trial on the garbage truck bribery charge, prosecutors have indicated their intention to pursue sentencing for the IRS obstruction conviction and forgo a third trial on the bribery charge.