An Allen County judge charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated and public intoxication allowed his black Lincoln to coast backward into a squad car in downtown Indianapolis early Friday morning, according to police.

Allen Circuit Court Judge Thomas J. Felts, 53, was pulled over after failing to signal a turn on West Market Street near Monument Circle about 3 a.m., according to Indiana State Capitol Police, an arm of the Indiana State Police that specializes in patrolling downtown government facilities in Indianapolis.

When Felts pulled over to stop he put the car in reverse instead of park, according to police, causing his car to hit the squad car behind it. According to police, Felts failed a field sobriety test and refused to take a breath test.

Police ordered a blood draw, but Felts' blood-alcohol content was not available Friday night.

Felts, of the 3400 block of South Washington Road, was booked into Marion County Jail at 4:39 a.m. Friday and released on his own recognizance about 11 hours later. He's the only judge of circuit court, which hears both civil and criminal cases.

Now, he could face disciplinary action from the same judicial commission of the Indiana Supreme Court that just days ago charged Allen Superior Court Judge Kenneth Scheibenberger with “willful misconduct.”

The Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications, which polices judges, accused Scheibenberger of going into another judge's courtroom and using obscenities directed at the family of a man he believed sold his drugs to his son, who is now dead.

The same commission frequently learns of judges who are arrested on drunken-driving charges. Typically, those judges are disciplined by the state Supreme Court after an investigation by the commission.

Felts is running for re-election to a six-year term in November. He is running unopposed, but his son set up a Facebook page (since removed) on the popular online social networking site to get the word out early on his father's candidacy.

“He's a true professional who understands his role as a public decision maker,” the Facebook page reads.

Felts, whose home number is unlisted, could not be reached for comment.