Fouty has been in the public spotlight since Feb. 28, when Melea Dawn Fisher, 30, of Charleston was pulled over in Kanawha City driving Fouty's car. Fisher told police she was running errands for the magistrate, but appeared confused and disoriented, according to a criminal complaint on file in Kanawha County Magistrate Court.

Police allegedly found prescription drugs and marijuana in Fisher's purse. She was charged with driving under the influence of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana.

Court records show that Fouty dismissed an earlier citation for possession of drugs for Fisher on Jan. 30.

"I have never dismissed tickets in exchange for favors," Fouty said Wednesday. "I've been raked over the coals by the media before, but not like this."

But records show that Fouty has been in trouble with officials for the state Supreme Court before. In 2010, a complaint was filed with the Judicial Investigation Commission of West Virginia, alleging that Fouty improperly helped write a peace bond for a friend.

The Judicial Investigation Commission was set up by the Supreme Court to investigate allegations of ethical misconduct by judges.

According to the commission's findings, Fouty approved peace bonds for Norma Jean Saunders, Brian Miller and Dennis Rhodes in November 2009. A peace bond is a kind of court order that requires a person to put up a sum of money as a guarantee that they will not bother another person. If they violate the terms of the bond, they forfeit the money and can be arrested.

Fouty said the peace bonds were the result of a property dispute between Norma Jean Saunders and one of Saunders' relatives. She said Saunders, Miller and Rhodes came to her to ask her what to do about the dispute, and Fouty advised them the best she could do was a peace bond.

But members of the investigation commission said Fouty helped write the peace bond for Saunders, who is a personal friend. "Magistrate Fouty even wrote some of the narrative in her own handwriting," investigators found.

Fouty said Saunders, who she conceded is a friend of hers, was sick at the time and asked Fouty if she could help her finish writing out the peace bond request. "I wrote one last line for her," Fouty said. "I wrote down exactly what she said."

Fouty then found probable cause to grant the peace bonds.

The Judicial Investigation Commission ruled that her actions violated the state Code of Judicial Conduct. Among their findings were concerns that Fouty allowed her friendship to affect her decision, and that she should have disqualified herself from deciding on granting the peace bonds.

"Formal discipline was not appropriate under the circumstances," the commission ruled. Instead, the commission decided to write a letter admonishing Fouty for her actions.

Fouty, the only Republican among Kanawha County's 10 magistrates, believes some of the allegations against her are politically motivated.

"It's an election year," she said. "Every election that comes around since I've been there, something comes up."

Reach Rusty Marks at rustyma...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1215.