TUSCALOOSA (AP) — An Alabama Circuit Court judge has been suspended over charges related to having multiple phone conversations with parents involved in a custody battle without their attorneys’ knowledge.

Al.com reports that the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission filed charges against Judge Marvin Wiggins.

Wiggins has served in the Fourth Judicial Circuit, which serves Bibb, Dallas, Hale, Perry and Wilcox counties, since 1999.

This is the third time Wiggins has been suspended by the commission in less than 10 years. One previous suspension arose three years ago after Wiggins threatened to throw defendants who couldn’t pay fines in jail unless they donated blood.

A voluntary response to the current charges from Wiggins said he made contact with the parties because, in his words, he was “facing an emergency, potentially-violent situation.”