LEBANON, IN Monday, April 14, 2025 – The Boone County Commissioners unanimously agreed today to name the new Ern K. Hudson Justice Center in memory of the longtime former sheriff.
Hudson served as Boone County Sheriff from 1979-1986, then again in 1991-1998. Due to term limits, Hudson’s wife Judy served as Sheriff during the interim years of 1987-1990. Before being elected Sheriff, Hudson was also a trooper with the Indiana State Police and he later served as Undersheriff for Larimer County, Colorado. Hudson passed away in 2017.
The move to name the facility was spearheaded by current Boone County Sheriff Tony Harris, whom Hudson hired, along with former Sheriff Ken P. Campbell and many others who knew the man who “left a long shadow.”
The project to build the current Boone County jail was led by Hudson in 1992 and Campbell noted, “It was state-of-the-art and built for expansion. Most notably, Ernie came in under budget and on-time.” The new $59 million dollar justice center project, started in 2022, expands on the existing 1992 facility and will be dedicated later this year.
According to County Commission President Scott Pell, “Sheriff Hudson was such a key part of our community for years and he was among the best police officers I have ever known. This naming of the Justice Center is one small but important way we can remember his service to Boone County.”
