Florida judge in hot water for inappropriate court behavior

A Florida circuit court judge known for her “glamorous” look is in trouble over her many ethical lapses in judgment.

The drama surrounding Judge Stefanie Moon started in January when the Judicial Qualifications Commission recommended that the Florida Supreme Court reprimand her based on two allegations.

“Those allegations involved reminding an attorney in court that he had not returned a phone call related to her re-election campaign and improperly contacting the therapist of a man who was a party in a case and whose mental health was an issue,” according to station WTVJ.

Then on Friday, April 4th, the commission doubled down by filing new documents claiming that Moon also “violated judicial canons by making political contributions, including to committees backing former Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, former President Joe Biden and ActBlue, a Democratic Party fundraising arm.”

The only good news for Moon is that the commission has agreed to a deal whereby she must face a public reprimand and pay back the amount, $2115, that she made in political contributions.

“The commission believes that a public reprimand and fine will be sufficient to deter similar misconduct by the respondent in the future and will also serve as a reminder to future candidates for judicial office that they must protect the integrity of judicial elections by refraining from inappropriate campaign activity and improper political contributions,” the documents filed Friday read.

One of the key allegations against her involves what happened in February, when, following a hearing, she confronted attorney Michael Jones for not having returned a call regarding her election campaign committee.

“The call had been placed from her personal cellphone outside of work hours a month earlier,” according to the Daily Mail. “Under Florida’s judicial rules, such outreach is allowed as long as it is limited, indirect, and kept strictly outside the courtroom.”

“This is Judge Stefanie Moon,” she said during the call. “I hope you are well. I’m reaching out because I’m putting together my reelection committee and I was wondering if you would agree to serve. If you would kindly return my call, I’d greatly appreciate it,.”

Then right after the hearing in February for Jones’ client, Moon confronted him about the call.

“I left you a message,” she said.

“I said, ‘Yes, judge, you did,’” Jones later recalled to the Daily Mail. “I was extremely uncomfortable.”

In its initial complaint, the Judicial Qualifications Commission said it was “quite disturbed” by Moon’s remarks to Jones, describing it as “an inappropriate political activity” because of the power imbalance between judge and lawyer.

“The inherently coercive nature of the interaction… could reasonably raise questions about the judge’s integrity or impartiality,” the commission concluded.

The Judicial Qualifications Commission also got another judge removed from the bench last year over her own bad behavior:

NEW: Georgia Judge Christina Peterson arrested at Atlanta nightclub removed from office.

The Georgia Supreme Court additionally barred Peterson from holding any judicial office in the state for seven years. The high court emphasized that the Judicial Qualifications Commission… pic.twitter.com/gyUG7oX8aJ

— I Meme Therefore I Am (@ImMeme0) June 26, 2024

Moon, who’s been in her post since 2018, also contacted a mental health counselor who’d been due to testify before her regarding a stalking case.

“She phoned the witness outside the presence of attorneys and parties and began questioning him before he could testify in court, a clear violation of judicial protocol,” the Daily Mail notes.

“The JQC noted the action undermined procedural fairness and risked contaminating the integrity of the proceedings. The commission described the conduct as serious but stopped short of recommending suspension or removal, citing her acknowledgment of misconduct and willingness to accept sanctions,” the reporting continues.

Criticism toward Moon has also come from outside the commission. Take the case of her 2024 primary opponent, Johnny Weekes, who accused her of not displaying the proper level of respect and professionalism in court.

He argued that “the candor, the respect that’s in that courtroom just is not there.” And that’s why he ran for office, because he believed “Broward County needed something different.”

“He pointed to several troubling incidents, including her decision not to reschedule a Monday morning hearing to accommodate his travel with his teenage son – a hearing that Moon herself allegedly missed due to her own travel delays,” according to the Daily Mail.

“She wanted me in that courtroom, and I was there,” he later told local media. “And she wasn’t.”

Senior Staff Writer
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V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.

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