Marion County judge arrested following domestic violence call

A judge in Marion County, Tennessee, was arrested Thursday during a domestic violence call, according to authorities.

Juvenile Court Judge R. Jay Blevins II is charged with domestic assault after a call Thursday night at his home in South Pittsburg, said Mike Taylor, 12th Judicial District Attorney General.

“The chief of police in South Pittsburg called me last night and said that his officers had responded to an incident at Judge Blevins’ house in South Pittsburg on an altercation between him and his wife,” Taylor said Friday.

Taylor couldn’t talk about details but said that South Pittsburg police took Blevins to jail for booking.

Marion County Sheriff Ronnie “Bo” Burnett said judges in Marion County recused themselves from the case and a bond was set for Blevins by a Hamilton County judge through a Zoom meeting.

Burnett said Blevins had been held until Friday morning because state law requires people arrested on domestic violence- related charges to be held for a 12- hour cooling- off period. Blevins was released Friday on a $1,000 bond.

Blevins, who holds court at the Juvenile Court facility in Jasper, couldn’t be reached Friday for comment and it was unclear whether he had an attorney.

No court date was listed, jail officials said.

It’s been a while since a Chattanooga area judge wound up facing charges on the other side of the bench.

One such case happened in 2010 when then-Catoosa County Magistrate Judge Anthony Peters turned himself in on charges of criminal trespass and disorderly conduct in connection an incident June 16, 2010, at the county courthouse where an altercation between Peters and his superior, Chief Magistrate Judge Donald “Sonny” Caldwell led to charges.