The Florida Supreme Court today accepted a recommendation for discipline against Orange County Judge Martha Cannon Adams, ordering a public reprimand for what the court described as “biased, impatient, undignified, and discourteous behavior” directed at staff and management of the Ninth Circuit State Attorney’s Office.
The high court approved a Stipulation and Findings and Recommendations of Discipline filed by the Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC). The stipulation acknowledged that Judge Adams violated several Canons of Judicial Conduct while presiding over criminal cases.
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According to the JQC’s findings, which were accepted by the Court, Judge Adams made rude and intemperate comments towards members of the State Attorney’s Office.
Specific instances cited include calling one assistant state attorney an “ass,” discussing making the life of one State Attorney’s Office employee “a shambles,” and stating that she believed the State Attorney’s Office was conspiring to remove her from the bench, leading her to declare she would have to start “being a ‘bitch’” in her rulings.
The Supreme Court agreed with the JQC’s conclusion that these actions violated Canons 1, 2A, 3B(4), and 3B(5) of the Code of Judicial Conduct, which require judges to uphold the integrity of the judiciary and treat parties with respect and impartiality.
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While acknowledging that Judge Adams’ comments were “well outside the bounds of what is acceptable for members of our judiciary” and that such behavior might often warrant discipline more severe than a public reprimand, the Court accepted the recommended discipline based on mitigating factors.
The order noted that Judge Adams has a clean disciplinary record over her seventeen years of prior judicial service and had no other complaints of this nature. The JQC also found that Judge Adams expressed deep regret and provided written apologies to the individuals directly affected by her misconduct. The Court accepted the JQC’s determination that, given this mitigation, a public reprimand was sufficient discipline short of a suspension.
The Court ordered Judge Adams to appear before the Supreme Court for the formal administration of the public reprimand at a date and time to be set by the Clerk of Court.
Chief Justice Carlos G. Muñiz and Justices Charles T. Canady, Jorge Labarga, Jamie Grosshans Couriel, Meredith Sasso, and Renatha Francis concurred in the decision. Justice John D. Grosshans recused himself from the case.
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