A Hamilton County General Sessions Court judge is unable to hear cases for the time being after he was suspended due to not completing Continuing Legal Education (CLE) requirements.
Judge Gerald Webb was not in court on Thursday morning, though he had a full docket for morning and afternoon sessions.
Judge Christie Sell, the senior General Sessions judge, said she was alerted to the situation on Wednesday night.
The suspension is from the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC).
Judge Sell said Judge Alex McVeigh stepped in and heard a few of the Webb cases on Thursday morning. She said she did not know what happened to the rest of the cases.
She said an attorney sat in the judge's seat for the afternoon docket. Judge Sell said it is preferable for an elected judge to sit, but at times when a fill-in judge is needed none is available.
It is the second time that Judge Webb has been suspended for failure to complete CLE requirements. It happened last year, and he was able to get reinstated soon afterward.
Most judges fulfill the requirements by attending judicial conferences in the Spring and Fall. The last conferences were virtual due to COVID-19 concerns.