On Monday, October 27, 2025, Law.com reported that a judicial misconduct investigation remains active against former Georgia Judge Robert “Bert” Guy Jr., despite his resignation from the bench. Guy, who previously served in the Brunswick Judicial Circuit Superior Court, stepped down on October 16 after being arrested in Florida for driving under the influence.
According to Courtney Veal, Director of the Judicial Qualifications Commission of Georgia (JQC), the ethics complaint filed against Guy remains pending. The probe was initiated following Guy’s arrest by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in Florida. He was charged with driving under the influence with impaired faculties, driving under the influence involving property damage and personal injury, and refusing to submit to a breath test.
The charges stem from an incident on October 7, where Guy allegedly backed his vehicle into another in a parking lot near Wacko’s Gentlemen’s Club around 2 a.m., according to local news reports. A valet attendant reported that Guy exited his vehicle after the collision and offered the other driver $500 to resolve the damages instead of exchanging insurance information, according to the arrest report. Valet staff then allegedly escorted Guy back into the establishment to await law enforcement.
Following his arrest, Guy pleaded not guilty to all charges and was released on a $3,000 bond. Subsequently, he retained legal counsel, self-reported the incident to the JQC, and resigned from his position as president of the Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia on October 10. In his resignation letter to the council, Guy did not provide an explanation for his departure, simply stating he was resigning effective immediately. Six days later, he resigned from his judicial post, tendering a letter to Gov. Brian Kemp.
S. Lester Tate II, Guy’s attorney at Akin & Tate in Cartersville, confirmed that his client’s resignation was not part of any agreement with the JQC. Veal corroborated this, stating that Guy’s voluntary resignation was not a condition of any agreement with the JQC panel and that the JQC’s process would continue.
Veal cited JQC Rule 2, which grants the agency “continuing jurisdiction over former judges” regarding misconduct allegations that occurred during their service, provided a complaint is filed within one year of their departure. This jurisdiction ensures that judges cannot evade disciplinary action by resigning and then seeking judicial office without any record of prior misconduct.
Veal indicated that if a resolution agreement is not reached between the Investigative Panel and Guy, the panel will determine the next steps, which could include further investigation or the filing of formal charges. As of Monday morning, a disposition report for Guy had not been entered on the Supreme Court of Georgia website, leaving the future of the case uncertain.
Source: Law.com
