Florida Supreme Court to decide judge’s fate
She is a judge who argues that her ethical lapses while running for office don’t mean she’s unfit for the job.
But the state’s judicial watchdog disagrees and now the Florida Supreme Court will decide Palm Beach County Judge Dana Santino’s fate.
Unlike other races for public office, campaigns for judge have rules against undignified comments and statements that appear biased. Santino admitted she crossed the line by calling her 2016 elecary tion opponent, a criminal lawyer, a defender of “murderers, rapists, child molesters.”
The Judicial Qualifications Commission argued Santino’s misconduct — what it condemns as “a win-at-allcosts-and-pay-the-finelater strategy” — shows she can’t be fair and impartial and needs to be removed.
“The prize for intentionally, and selfishly inflicting such damage on the judici- cannot be a judicial office,” wrote Alexander Williams, assistant general counsel for the independent agency based in Tallahassee.
A lawyer for Santino, 49, has asked the Supreme Court to reject the commission’s recommendation and instead impose a severe penalty, including a fine of at least $50,000 and the humiliation of a public reprimand.
Attorney Jeremy Kroll, a former Broward prosecutor, wrote that the Florida Constitution says judicial discipline