Cocke County General Sessions Judge John Bell faces trial Sept. 22 before the Tennessee Court of the Judiciary. The Newport Plain Talk reported Bell withdrew objections and agreed to answer pretrial questions. The newspaper reported an order was filed following a telephone conference among attorneys and parties to the case, saying Bell is expected to testify in his own defense. The judiciary court has accused Bell of sentencing defendants to probation terms that forced them to pay fees to his brother-in-law’s probation company. He’s charged with four counts of judicial misconduct. Bell claims he did nothing wrong. He will be tried at the Cocke County Courthouse in Newport.