The Tennessee Supreme Court has permanently disbarred Disgraced Former Johnson County Judge Perry Stout after he pled guilty to several felonies, including conspiracy to possess 10–70 pounds of marijuana with intent to sell and money laundering.
For context, Stout began his illegal activities in 2022 before his election, admitting to funding a marijuana trafficking operation and using profits for his 2022 judge campaign. The judge has been hit with a year in jail and seven years of probation.
Reacting to the sentence, Stout expressed regret, acknowledging his loss of career and reputation. Character witnesses supported his character, and he is unlikely to appeal. His wife faces related charges stemming from the same scandal.
In any case, a court document summarizes the circumstances of the case. “Mr. Stout entered into a conspiracy in 2022 to sell illegal drugs in a tri-state region, which included Johnson County,” a document explained.
Building on this point, the same source noted, “While an attorney and later as an elected General Sessions Judge, Mr. Stout invested in the purchase of illegal drugs and participated in illegal drug trafficking with the intent to sell or deliver the drugs in the Johnson County region.”
Adding more context, a separate file offers a more detailed explanation, saying, “During a course of time in 2022 and 2023, in Johnson County, Tennessee, did unlawfully, feloniously, and knowingly commit the offense of conspiracy to possess schedule VI controlled substances.”
Apparently, the judge was not alone in his criminal activities. “Entering into an agreement with Gary Marshall for over that course of time to possess marijuana in an aggregate amount equal to ten pounds or greater, but less than seventy pounds, with the intent that that marijuana be sold, each defendant intending to commit said crime and each acting for the purpose of promoting or facilitating the commission of said crime,” the cout revealed.
"*" indicates required fields
Reacting to his sentencing, Stout admitted guilt. “I’ve done wrong. Realize I have to be punished. I’ve lost a career, a retirement, and the respect of so many people,” the former judge said. Speaking about the crime, his co-conspirator noted, “He approached me, started talking, and then asked me, ‘Was there money in it?’ And I said, ‘Well, yeah.’” Responding, the judge said, “I authorized Gary to buy THC products. I invested in that. And that was wrong. I didn’t realize that having him re-invest the profits was money laundering. That was wrong as well.”
Unfortunately, this is far from the only judge to be busted for money laundering. As we reported, Judge Lina Hidalgo of Harris County, Texas, faced an ethics scandal for using public funds to endorse Sean Teare, a Democrat running for local office.
Defending her actions desperately, she whined, “This is just the same dirty politics she’s been playing at for years, and her patterns are obvious. There’s a lot of evidence of that.” Additionally, she claimed that this was a minor issue, saying, “It is part of my job to defend the integrity of my office. The Commission requested a $500 penalty after acknowledging that the situation was a minor issue. I was confident that everything I did and said was appropriate.”