On May 24, the court heard the case against him and entered the order on Tuesday. The board of professional responsibility’s ruling permanently prohibits Stout from practicing law in the state. In 2020, Tennessee’s Supreme Court abolished the rule that allowed attorneys to request reinstatement after five years, effectively making Stout’s ban permanent.
In May 2, Stout, 52, was sentenced to a year in prison for a marijuana conviction. However, this wasn’t his first brush with the law. Back in June 2023, he resigned from his position as a judge following a self-reported incident that involved an affair with a courthouse employee.
The court’s disbarment order highlighted Stout’s privileged access to investigative information about crime and potential criminals through his role as a judge. Law enforcement officers would often seek warrants or interact with him, providing him with valuable insights.
According to the order, Mr. Stout had established a code word as a part of the process of buying and selling marijuana. The purpose of this code word was to alert his accomplice of any potential law enforcement activity that could benefit the accomplice.
During the hearing, evidence was presented that demonstrated how Stout’s actions had a negative impact on the Johnson County community. The loss of confidence in the legal process within Johnson County was one of the consequences resulting from his actions, affecting the community as a whole.
In the order, it was highlighted that Mr. Stout, who was a juvenile judge, was involved in the trafficking of a controlled substance – marijuana. This raised serious concerns as it could have led to juveniles appearing before him on cases related to possession, use or distribution of the same controlled substance that he was illegally bringing into Tennessee and Johnson County.
Stout arrived at the Morgan County Jail on Saturday to serve his sentence, according to official records. He is currently being held there.
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