The president of Georgia’s Council of Superior Court Judges was arrested early Tuesday on charges he was intoxicated when he backed his car into a pickup truck in the parking lot of a Jacksonville strip club, according to a Florida arrest report.
Superior Court Judge Robert “Bert” Guy Jr., who presides over cases in the five-county Brunswick Judicial Circuit, is charged with driving under the influence after refusing to submit to a breath test, jail logs show.
He was released from the Jacksonville jail hours after the incident after posting a $3,000 bond, sheriff’s office records show.
Authorities responded to Wacko’s Gentlemen’s Club around 3 a.m. after receiving a call from a parking valet at the club, according to an incident report obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution through an open records request. The strip club, which hails itself as “Jacksonville’s Best Gentlemen’s Club,” had just closed for the night when Guy backed his Mercedes-Benz into a Ford F-150 pickup truck, deputies wrote.
The report cites witnesses as saying the judge got out of his sedan and spoke with the driver of the truck before getting back in his car and trying to leave.
Guy, 48, attempted to drive away, but “was unable to do so as he appeared highly intoxicated,” the parking valet told police.
In the report, the valet said he and another patron had to guide the judge into the parking space. Guy was then escorted back inside the bar, where he handed over his car keys and cellphone, according to the report.
There, employees “kept a watchful eye on him” and made sure he didn’t have any other drinks until law enforcement arrived, according to the report.
Authorities also spoke with the driver of the pickup, who said he tried to exchange information with the judge, but Guy refused to provide it, police said.
Instead, the pickup driver said Guy offered him $500 to “settle the damages to the vehicles,” deputies wrote.
An officer wrote that the judge smelled strongly of alcohol, appeared confused and slurred his words as they questioned him. Guy repeatedly said he did not have his keys and told authorities he couldn’t remember if he was driving when his car was damaged, according to the report.
The judge was arrested at the scene and charged with driving under the influence and DUI- property damage, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office records show. He later refused to consent to a breathalyzer, authorities said, resulting in an additional charge. The sheriff’s office declined to release Guy’s booking photo, citing his status as an active judge.
He has already self-reported his arrest to the Judicial Qualifications Commission, which is the state’s judicial watchdog agency, according to his attorney, Lester Tate.
“It 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,” Tate told the AJC.
Guy, who is licensed to practice law in both states, has also retained a Florida attorney to handle his criminal case there, Tate said.
JQC Director Courtney Veal said the commission is aware of the arrest and confirmed an investigation is underway.
As president of the Council of Superior Court Judges, Guy is tasked with representing the group during Georgia’s legislative session, among other duties. He is also a member of the Judicial Council of Georgia.
The State Bar of Georgia directory says Guy is from Woodbine, the county seat of Camden County in southeast Georgia, on the Florida border. He was first elected Superior Court judge in 2016 and took the bench the following year.
In an interview on the Judicial Council of Georgia’s YouTube channel, Guy said his favorite part about being a judge is handling adoptions and helping to “create a permanent family” for some of Georgia’s most vulnerable residents.
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