CRAWFORD COUNTY, Ind. — A Southern Indiana judge has been arrested for allegedly assaulting her ex-husband in front of their children.
Indiana State Police said that Sabrina Bell, Crawford County's Circuit Judge, was arrested and charged with domestic battery in the presence of a child less than 16 years old.
Police said a Special Judge assigned to the case found probable cause existed for Bell's arrest following a domestic violence incident in early April.
According to Bell's probable cause affidavit, officers from the Crawford County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of domestic violence at Bell's residence on April 12.
Upon arriving, officers found Douglas Goerss, Bell's ex-husband, who had made the call to police. He said that he was at Bell's house to pick up their three children for a scheduled visit that evening.
He told police that Bell began a verbal argument in front of their children, which ended with her allegedly striking Goerss on the left side of his face.
Responding officers said they "observed marks on Goerss left side that would substantiate his claim."
According to police, interviews conducted by the Indiana Department of Child Services confirmed that the alleged battery was witnessed by two of the children, ages 12 and 8.
Police said Bell declined to make any statements regarding the matter.
Bell was booked into the Crawford County Jail Thursday and has since been released on pre-trial conditions.
The Indiana Supreme Court has suspended Bell with pay as a result of the case, which is required by the Court's rule.
In 2019, Bell was involved in a fight that resulted in two other Southern Indiana judges being shot. All three were temporarily suspended by the state's Supreme Court.
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