A longtime attorney and judge in Evans County was arrested over Labor Day weekend by Statesboro Police.
Benjamin Pierce Brinson was arrested at 7:10 p.m. on Sunday, September 1st on suspicion of driving under the influence. He was charged with DUI – less safe, Speeding in Excess of Maximum Limits, and Open Container of Alcohol in a Motor Vehicle. All three charges are misdemeanor offenses.
The information was released as part of the daily booking reports sent to the media by the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office.
According to Bulloch County jail records, Brinson was booked on Sunday evening and released Monday on $2,121 bond. No court date has been set in Statesboro Municipal Court. The Municipal Court Judge in Statesboro is Keith Barber, though it was not immediately clear if there is a conflict of interest with Barber due to working relationships that would prompt a recusal.
The Georgia Code of Judicial Conduct requires that any judge arrested or charged with a ‘serious’ crime must report the arrest/charge to the Judicial Qualifying Commission (JQC) in writing within five days of the charge. The most recent version of the Code of Conduct that appears on the Georgia Bar Association website as well as the JQC website defines a ‘serious’ crime as:
any felony; any lesser crime that reflects adversely on the judge’s honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a judge in other respects; crimes involving moral turpitude; driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol; unlawful possession of any controlled substance; or any crime a necessary element of which, as determined by the statutory or common law definition of the crime, involves interference with the administration of justice, false swearing, misrepresentation, fraud, deceit, bribery, extortion, misappropriation, theft, or willful failure to file income tax returns, or an attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation of another to commit a serious crime.
Brinson is the Juvenile Court Judge for Evans and Tattnall counties as well as the Municipal Court Judge for the City of Claxton. All three positions are appointed – the juvenile court positions appointed by the circuit Superior Court Judges and the municipal court appointment by the Claxton City Council. He is also in private practice and a partner at the law firm of Callaway, Neville, & Brinson in Claxton. According to the Georgia Bar Association website, Brinson has been practicing law in Georgia for 40 years and has no public discipline matters on his Bar Association record. He is an active member in good standing.
Persons charged with crimes, regardless of nature, are presumed innoncent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Seibel Scott
September 3, 2019 at 10:19 pm
Bronson should not be able to be Judge any more for this if a trucker gets stopped for the same reason they don’t get to keep their job and he sure don’t need to have more say so about kids any more he needs to be out of office
Duane nunnally
September 14, 2019 at 6:06 pm
Yes this judge should be held accountable for his actions an knows better he need to be put out office an the bar take his license an who ever he sent off for drinken and driven should be able to appeal same law applies to them same goes for him also the law states no matter what race creed or color you is justice goes for all rather you with the law or breaking the law I has zero tolerance when cones down to drunk drivers I just lost my 7 year old grandson an his step mom bye a drunk driver July 7th an he pass July 9th 2019 it’s a hard pill to swallow when you have a love one to die in car accident bye a drunk driver thank God bulloch co got this judge before he kill some one like the guy then with mines thanks to the officer that stop this judge from Claxton ga bulloch co is a fair county don’t matter who you are they prove they will lock you up
Shawn
September 4, 2019 at 8:18 am
I’m not too big on Juvie Court judges, having gotten burned as a teen on trumped up charges way on back in the last century. How often does a juvie convict get justice? So, I am liking this.
Secondly, liquor is great for fruitcakes and this man is from Evans County. Either in or near Claxton. Fruitcake capital of the world.
However, fruitcakes don’t make good judges. I hope he has to hang up his robe and go out and get an honest job.
James Durrence
September 4, 2019 at 7:54 pm
Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? A lot of difference between a trucker and Judge. You seem bitter toward this Judge. What is your relationship with Judge Brinson?
Bear
September 6, 2019 at 11:41 am
1st: He is “Innocent until PROVEN guilty”.
2nd: He is human. Human’s are not perfect. Mistakes are made.
3rd: I understand that we hold judges, & law enforcement to a higher standard. Perhaps this is fair. But perhaps it is not.
4th: IF this is his 1st offense then he should be reprimanded, given counseling, & allowed to correct his mistake(s).
Neesha
September 12, 2019 at 9:50 am
No no no … BEAR yes he is human and should have his day in court BUT ..its not just a speeding ticket its open container and the alcohol already ingested ..HIS actions show and tell a story where he thinks he can get away with it he should hang it up your not only a judge you are a lawyer as well you know the law backwards and forwards and he decided to drive and was drunk he could have killed someone dont get on herecmaking excuses for that man and yes i do have knowledge of him in court settings .THEY SHOULD TAKE IT ALLLL.
Duane Nunnally
September 14, 2019 at 5:41 pm
He should be punish same law that apply if you wasn’t a judge or lawyer he should stand down an take his day in court like a man like the law says equal protection rights no person any race or creed should be treated different when it comes to breaken the law I have no excuse for drunk drivers one just kill my 7 year old grandson along with his stepmother July 7th 2019 it’s a bad situation so I thank God this judge was stop an lock up save someone life one thing about bulloch co they enforce there law rather you a govt official or not they uphold the law
Dee Combs
November 5, 2019 at 9:10 pm
He could have killed an innocent person driving drunk. Also, he did not always act under oath of office in the court room. Most times he ruled with his emotions.. sooner or later he was going to face charges anyway.