ROANE COUNTY, Tenn. — A Roane County judge is being suspended for 30 days for misconduct including driving while intoxicated in 2021.
The suspension for General Sessions Court Judge Dennis W. Humphrey will take place July 1-15 and Sept. 1-15, the order from the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct states.
It was issued on May 25.
"When any judge, but especially a judge who adjudicates substance abuse or chemical dependency matters such as Judge Humphrey is convicted of DUI or related offenses, respect for the judiciary and the administration of justice suffers. Clearly, the public is more likely to respect and have confidence in the integrity and quality of justice administered by a judge if the judge has complied with the same standards of conduct he or she is responsible for applying to others.
"A judge convicted of DUI, or any other crime, does not inspire such confidence," the board's order of suspension reads.
Humphrey pleaded guilty on May 11 to DUI.
The incident occurred on Oct. 20, 2021, when Humphrey was in a collision with another car in Roane County.
Tennessee Highway Patrol authorities cited him for failure to use due care and for having an open container of alcohol. He admitted to those offenses and paid the fines.
Humphrey self-reported what had happened to the Administrative Office of the Courts in Nashville.
Humphrey was admitted to Cornerstone of Recovery in Knox County on Oct. 26, 2021, and got nine weeks of in-patient treatment "for alcoholism," records state.
Then, in February, he was charged with DUI related to the incident.
Humphrey has been a Sessions Court judge since 1998.