The Tennessee Court of the Judiciary has set an April trial date for General Sessions Judge Gloria Dumas, who faces charges of official misconduct.

The court has scheduled April 5, 6, and 7 for the trial, where Dumas will defend herself against accusations – outlined last fall by the state's judiciary oversight agency – that she hired her own daughter to work as a court officer, was persistently late for her sessions and overused special judges to sit in for her sessions in her absence.

Should the court find Dumas in violation, it can impose a range of sanctions on the judge, including recommending to lawmakers that she be removed from office.

When originally contacted by NashvillePost.com in October, Dumas declined to comment on the matter. She has been judge in General Sessions since 1998. In 2006, she was re-elected to another eight-year term.