Northwest North Carolina Judge Suspended

A Northwest North Carolina district court judge has been suspended following a decision by the state Supreme Court.

Under the state's Judicial Code of Ethics, judges are allowed to serve as executors, but only for family members. 

The justices determined Brooks violated that rule when he handled the estates of two family friends. Their order from last week also says he failed to report nearly $90,000 in the estates' commissions he received at the time.

Brooks accepted responsibility for his actions at a commission meeting last September and apologized. The Judicial Standards Commission had recommended that Brooks be censured, but the court went further, imposing a 90-day suspension without pay. 

Brooks is a judge in the 23rd Judicial District, which includes Yadkin, Wilkes, Ashe and Allegheny counties.