The wife of a respected county judge claims her husband beat her unconscious - but no attorney in the Florida district would hear her case.

Hillsborough Circuit Judge Eric Myers, who was appointed by Jeb Bush in 2000, was arrested at 2am on Saturday January 17 on suspicion of punching his wife Shirley Myers until she passed out in front of their five-year-old daughter at home in Tampa.

But Mrs Myers said she couldn't get anybody to take on the domestic violence case against her 'well-respected' husband, who regularly hears abuse cases.

Problem: Shirley Myers said nobody would take on the domestic violence case against her 'well-respected' husband after he allegedly beat her unconscious in their home in Tampa, Florida

Charged: Hillsborough Circuit Judge Eric Myers, appointed by Jeb Bush, was charged with domestic abuse

'Some people had told me they didn't want to ruin their reputation of their firm, that they knew him, worked with him or they were scared,' Mrs Myers told a hearing in Tampa.

'No one from Hillsborough County was going to help me because Eric is part of Hillsborough County and they stick together.'

Mrs Myers claims she was slapped and punched in the face with an open and closed fist on Friday January 16.

She says her hair was pulled and she eventually passed out before waking to hear her daughter shout: 'Daddy stop hitting mommy.'

Police reponded to a call early on Saturday January 17 and detained Judge Myers, who was released after posting $500 bail, The Tampa Bay Tribune reported.

According to Chief Judge Ron Ficarrotta, Judge Myers, who was re-elected without opposition in 2014, was a former assistant state attorney with an 'outstanding reputation'.

Mrs Myers claims her husband (pictured) slapped and punched her in the face with an open and closed fist

Arrested: Police responded to the call on January 17 and detained Judge Myers in the parking lot (pictured)

But according to Mrs Myers, the first attorney she approached, Julia Chase, spent 40 minutes on the phone trying to dissuade her.

Chase is now representing Judge Myers.

Trying to get Chase pulled from the case, Mrs Myers told a court on Friday: '[Chase said] just think about it, [that] she knows Eric, that everybody has a moment.

'She told me she would hold it until Sunday so I could take some time.'

Chase rebutted: 'She testified to things that never came out of my mouth, which makes me think that either she's confused or she's trying to eliminate attorneys as a pre-emptive strike.'

A judge dismissed Mrs Myers' motion.

Mrs Myers' attorney Alberto Ayo told Fox 13: 'This courage that our client had to come out and talk about these very private facts should be an example for our society.

'There are many woman who endure this abuse in silence and that should not occur.'

The couple have filed for divorce and the case is ongoing.