Image Credit: thestaggeringtruth/TikTok
Tennessee Conservative News [By Paula Gomes] –
A Hohenwald,Tennessee, judge recently pleaded guilty to a traffic violation in his own court room.
In what appears to have been recorded for levity, with Judge Mike Hinson making sure the proceedings were being captured on video before he began, the General Sessions judge for Lewis County then handed down a ticket to himself.
The citation for texting while driving cost him $60.
TikTok user Burton Staggs, who shared the video, praised Hinson saying. “Instead of brushing it under the rug, he stood in front of everyone, fined himself sixty dollars in line with state law, and gave us a reminder we all need: nobody’s above the law, and distracted driving can be deadly.”
After introducing the first ticket of the day as his, Hinson stated, “I have been charged with use of a handheld device prohibited while driving.”
And then a mock dialog began with Hinson asking himself if he was guilty.
“Actually, I am…” said Hinson, before putting on his judge’s hat again and stating the amount he would have to pay, pointing out that it was the recommended fine.
Following the hearing, Hinson reportedly reiterated the dangers of distracted driving.
Can a Tennessee judge preside over their own case?
The state’s Supreme Court Rules of Conduct state that a judge must disqualify themselves from “any proceeding in which the judge’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned.”
While it could be argued that the rule applies in this situation, the case was a simple traffic citation, for which court can be avoided entirely by pleading guilty and paying the citation in full.
It could be that instead of handling it privately as most citizens do, Hinson may have wanted to be completely above board about his mistake and chose to give those in his courtroom a laugh at the same time.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
