Fifth, concluding the inquiry of the judge, the Investigative Panel decides whether probable cause exists to initiate formal disciplinary proceedings.Fourth, the subject judge appears before the Investigative Panel to provide an explanation about the allegations contained within the complaint and answer the Panel's questions.Third, the subject judge is notified of the complaint and is provided with a Notice of Investigation and requested to appear before the Investigative Panel.Many of those complaints are dismissed and the JQC does not inform the judge of a complaint unless an investigation is launched. The JQC receives numerous complaints of judges simply based on rulings made in court. If so, then the work of the JQC continues, if not the complaint is dismissed. Second, the nine members of the JQC Investigative Panel review the complaint to determine whether the allegations constitute a breach of Florida's Judicial Canons.First, the signed complaint forms are received by the Commission staff.The complaint and investigation process is as follows The JQC acts based on complaints received by individuals claiming a judge has acted unethically. The Chair of the Commission selects nine members to serve on the Investigative Panel and six members to serve on the Hearing Panel. The Commission members, however, are a collection of six judges, five laypersons selected by Florida's Governor, and four members of The Florida Bar Association. Small but powerful, the agency known as the JQC is staffed by only four employees. The JQC does not advise on whether certain conduct violates Florida's Code of Judicial Conduct as that is the job of the Judicial Ethics Advisory Commission. In fact, cases of judicial misconduct where probable cause has been found and formal charges filed are published on the website of the Supreme Court of Florida.Ĭreated in 1966 by amendment of the Florida Constitution, the Judicial Qualifications Commission ("JQC") is an independent state agency tasked with investigating allegations of misconduct and disability by all judges within the state of Florida. This access to information includes Florida's judiciary and certain disciplinary actions. Any citizen can simply make a public records request to obtain information about almost any activity of Florida's government. All opinions expressed in this piece are solely those of the author as an external expert and do not necessarily reflect the official position of UNODC.įlorida's official nickname is "The Sunshine State" because of its warm weather throughout the year, but to those who work with Florida's government, it is considered "The Sunshine State" because of the public's access to Florida's branches of government. Judge Keathan Frink is a judge in the 17th Judicial Circuit Court in the State of Florida in the United States. Florida's Judicial Qualifications Commission: Holding Judges Accountable
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |