GALLIPOLIS - A little more than a year after he was suspended for three violations of the judicial code of conduct, the Ohio Supreme Court last week re-instated William S. Medley as Gallia County Probate-Juvenile Court judge.

Medley is expected to resume his work on the bench this week.

Medley's suspension officially ended in early December. He then had to apply to the court for re-instatement.

Medley was publicly reprimanded by the high court in December 2004 after being charged with the violations in a report filed in April, according to court documents.

Disciplinary commissioners said Medley ran afoul of rules requiring judges to avoid the appearance of impropriety and to disqualify themselves from cases in which their impartiality could be questioned, the documents state.

According to court documents, Medley gave a would-be defendant a ride home from the Gallipolis police station after she was arrested for driving under the influence.

That defendant said that Medley gave her a ride home, but the two did not discuss the DUI charge. Medley later presided over her case, accepting a guilty plea to a reduced charge.

The court ruled 7-0 in favor of publicly reprimanding and suspending Medley. In the opinion, Justice Francis E. Sweeney Sr., wrote that giving a would-be defendant a ride home after having been detained for a crime gives the impression of bias on the judge's part. Sweeney further stated that Medley should have recused himself from the case to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

Former probate-juvenile judge Thomas S. Moulton Sr. served in Medley's position during the suspension.

Prior to being elected to the probate-juvenile bench, Medley was Gallipolis Municipal judge for 10 years.