PORT ALLEN – Judge Robin Free has been suspended without pay for one year the Louisiana Supreme Court has decided.

Free was accused by the Judiciary Commission of inappropriate actions involving individuals that appeared before him in court. The commission has leveled accusations of interference in civil and criminals matters before the 18th Judicial District court where Free serves. In 2014, Free was suspended without pay for a month after he was found to have inappropriately taken a trip paid for by an attorney with business before Free's court.

Free is also accused of a range of offenses including inappropriate jokes from the bench and holding people in contempt illegally.

Free will have to pay more than $11,000 in penalties.

Judge James Best was suspended for 15 days without pay in a separate matter related to how he handled the probation of a convicted sex offender he knew.

The decisions were released after lunch on Wednesday, monitor this story for specific updates.

Both Free and Best are judges for the 18th Judicial District.