One of Georgia’s most senior judges has been arrested for alleged drunk driving after a fender bender outside a Florida strip club called Wacko’s.
Robert “Bert” Guy Jr., 48, resigned as president of Georgia’s Council of Superior Court Judges on Friday, days after his arrest just across state lines in Jacksonville.
The Superior Court judge allegedly backed his Mercedes-Benz into a Ford F-150 in the strip club’s parking at 3 a.m. Tuesday — then offered the other driver $500 to avoid exchanging information, alerting him to his powerful position, according to an arrest report obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The judge then attempted to drive away — but “was unable to do so as he appeared highly intoxicated,” a parking valet told police.
Guy was escorted back inside Wacko’s Gentlemen’s Club, where employees “kept a watchful eye on him,” the affidavit said.
He smelled strongly of alcohol, appeared confused, and was slurring his words when law enforcement arrived, according to the arrest report.
Guy repeatedly insisted he didn’t have his keys and refused to hand over his ID, according to the arrest report.
He was arrested at the scene and charged with DUI and DUI-property damage, along with an additional charge for later failing to submit to a breathalyzer test, jail logs show.
The sheriff’s office did not release Guy’s booking photo, citing his status as an active judge.
Guy was released on a $3,000 bond. He then self-reported the arrest to Georgia’s judicial oversight body, the Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC), before resigning on Friday as president of the judges’ council.
“It has been a distinct honor and privilege to serve the Council of Superior Court Judges as President and in other roles; however, today I am resigning effectively immediately as Council President,” he wrote in a statement.
His attorney, Lester Tate, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the arrest “arose out of a minor fender-bender in the parking lot there and we’re hopeful that we’ll be able to resolve the matter.”
Guy, who presides over cases in the five-county Brunswick Judicial Circuit, was first elected Superior Court judge in 2016 and took the bench in 2017.
The judge did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
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