Body cameras are frequently in the news, particularly in headlines. The idea of video must draw the viewer, like the headline about an arrested judge seems popular. That said, the footage offered by this story is mostly audio. The video is primarily of the driver's side door handle of the vehicle that the deputy has stopped. This is on TCPalm and YouTube, and may not live up to the headline's enthusiasm.
Nonetheless, the topic is salacious. Last year, it was a judge in Georgia, see Adjectives and Appearances (June 2024). That details news coverage of a judge who may have too much to drink. That post offered a suggestion that appearances in the news could be less than flattering.
The more recent video cited above preceded the arrest of a St. Lucie County Circuit Judge in nearby Martin County. Fox29 reports that the judge was arrested on "charges of possession of paraphernalia and DUI refusal."
He was allegedly driving a vehicle and struggled to stay in "a single lane," driving "with no lights on," and after the stop was "observed ... to have bloodshot watery eyes, slurred speech, and the odor of ... alcoholic beverage." Possibly, there is more video yet unreleased of the driving and the actual accused?
The police allege that they then found "a powder-like substance" in the judge's wallet. This was allegedly identified later as "positive for cocaine." The two passengers in the vehicle were "cited for possession of cocaine," apparently for other instances than the judge's wallet (one report notes a substance was found near the female passenger and another in the possession of a passenger in the back seat).
Did the police happen upon this alleged behavior? The news reports that the judge had been under suspicion or even surveillance "for weeks." It says that the local sheriff's department "narcotic investigators" had "been looking into" the judge after "suspicions of drug activity involving the judge."
Another TCPalm report says that the suspicions were based on an informant's allegation that the judge and one of the others arrested in the traffic stop were “party animals who often went on binges." We have had some workers' compensation judges over the decades who had the reputation of enjoying a good time. One would hope there is a line between the good time and the party animal, but where is it? Is it objective or subject to the observer's judgement?
According to TCPalm, the recent arrest led to a search warrant for the judge's home. That search allegedly led to recovery of "a metal tray with cocaine residue and plastic baggies with cocaine residue." They also "reported finding cocaine residue on a Florida Bar card with (the judge's) name on it. That in itself is intriguing - use something exquisitely personal to process illegal drugs, then leave it uncleansed and available as evidence?
The first conclusion is simple - this is not an enviable position in which to find oneself. "Arrested" is not a positive adjective for any judge. The implications of both criminal prosecution and inquiry by the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission are significant challenges to face.
The two passengers who were arrested included another courthouse employee. She is alleged to be "an administrative assistant for a magistrate," and may be the one the informant referred to as a "party animal."
The local sheriff was quoted by TCPalm, noting:
“To have a sitting judge, of course, that's a position of extreme trust and power, and so to have someone at that level, that is going around and acting like a college student, which is kind of how he was acting, is surprising to us.”
In such instances, it is imperative to remember that arrest and allegation are not equivalent to guilt. There will be time invested in both pursuing and defending the various allegations, and this story may evolve as time passes.
Nonetheless, after this post was originally drafted, the accused judge resigned from the bench, according to CBS 12. The allegations and accusations will remain, and potentially the headlines. Nonetheless, the second conclusion seems as obvious - judges should avoid the "appearance of impropriety" as discussed in Night Court (May 2025). That is an issue that might be driven by a judge's behavior or associations.
Who is under surveillance? The simple perspective for any judge, lawyer, or others is "everyone." You need not be followed by the sheriff's office or some dime-novel investigator. You are under surveillance 24/7/365 by the breadth and depth of the real world. Every cell phone has a camera, and every person has a critic. You are under surveillance, like it or not.
This may not make for splashy headlines, and yet the potential is always there. The damage one might to do to reputation, stature, and employability is a constant threat regardless of occupation or vocation. Today's reality is that people are persistently under the microscope and would do well to remember.
