[3] On Saturday 30 November 2013, shortly after Bampton's appointment to the Supreme Court, she was driving after consuming alcohol when she hit and injured a cyclist at Glenside.
A breath test indicated that Bampton had a blood alcohol content of 0.121%, a category 2 offence,[4] and was immediately disqualified from driving for six months.
In South Australia a judge can only be removed by the Governor upon the address of both Houses of the Parliament.
The Chief Justice Chris Kourakis decided that for twelve months Bampton would not be allocated to cases involving a driving offence nor where an offender was "materially affected by alcohol".
[6] Subsequently, NSW Court of Appeal Judge Anthony Meagher was found to be driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.053%, however he too remained on the bench.