Judge Tegan Slaton falls asleep during trial

Fla. Keys judge blames incident on new prescription of Ambien

Monroe County Circuit Judge Tegan Slaton fell asleep while presiding over a trial.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – A Florida Keys judge who fell asleep in the middle of a trial earlier this month says he has been battling insomnia, according to a Miami Herald report.

Monroe County Circuit Judge Tegan Slaton is blaming the incident on a new prescription he received for Ambien.

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The judge says his insomnia is caused by another medication prescribed for gastrointestinal issues.

Court was briefly halted and another judge took over.

Slaton says he has now stopped taking the drug.

"The Ambien issue is never going to happen again," Slaton tells the Herald.