“You don’t normally see people talking about those two occupations in the same paragraph.”

On the evening of Aug. 9, the judge’s wife, Kelli Fuller, dialed 911 from a Ritz-Carlton to report that he had assaulted her during an argument about her suspicions that he was engaged in an extramarital relationship with a law clerk. An Atlanta police officer wrote in an incident report that Mrs. Fuller had “visible lacerations to her mouth and forehead” when she opened the door of her hotel room, which the officer said smelled of alcohol.

“Mrs. Fuller stated when she confronted him about their issues, he pulled her hair and threw her to the ground and kicked her,” the police report said. “Mrs. Fuller also stated she was dragged around the room and Mr. Fuller hit her in the mouth several times with his hands.”

Judge Fuller, in his own interview with the police, said that he had reacted defensively after his wife hurled a drink glass toward him while he watched CNN.

The police reported that Judge Fuller’s stepson had told them that the episode was similar to past confrontations between Mrs. Fuller and her husband. Judge Fuller has entered a pretrial diversion program that requires counseling and could lead to an expungement of the misdemeanor charge.

“This incident has been very embarrassing to me, my family, friends and the court,” Judge Fuller said in a statement. “I deeply regret this incident and look forward to working to resolve these difficulties with my family, where they should be resolved.”

Within days of the arrest, the appeals court decided that Judge Fuller would not be assigned new cases while his was pending, and that other judges would assume his caseload.

Judge Fuller is not an obscure name in legal circles, having come under significant criticism for his handling of the trial and sentencing of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman in 2006. Mr. Siegelman, a Democrat, was convicted on seven counts, including bribery and mail fraud, in a case that many saw as politically motivated. That history, lawyers said, could be adding to the uproar Judge Fuller faces.