Kim Shepard
Kim Shepard is a former judge for the Ninth Circuit Court in Florida. She served on the court from 2014 to 2018. Shepard was elected to the court in 2014 for a term beginning on January 6, 2015, and she resigned effective August 31, 2018.[1][2][3]
Biography
Shepard earned her J.D. from the University of Florida School of Law.[4] Prior to her judicial election in 2014, Shepard worked as an attorney in private practice.[4] She was a member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing District 36, from 1992 to 1994.[5]
Elections
2014
See also: Florida judicial elections, 2014
Shepard ran for election to the Ninth Circuit Court.
Primary: She was elected in the primary on August 26, 2014, receiving 60 percent of the vote. She competed against Norberto Katz.
[1][2]
Noteworthy events
Misconduct allegations (2015-2017)
The Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) filed formal charges of misconduct against Judge Kim Shepard in September 2015. According to the JQC, Shepard distributed misleading campaign materials while running for election in 2014.[6] The commission recommended in June 2016 that Shepard receive a 90-day suspension without pay and a public reprimand.[7] The Florida Supreme Court ruled on May 4, 2017, that Shepard receive the discipline recommended by the commission, as well as pay for all of the costs related to the investigation.[8]
The Orlando Sentinel endorsed Shepard's opponent, Norberto Katz, in the 2014 race. Shepard included on her campaign flyer the endorsement she received from the Sentinel during her 1994 re-election campaign for the Florida House of Representatives. The endorsement read, "Ms. Shepard has done well. She has kept her promises. She has worked hard. She has maintained integrity. — The Orlando Sentinel." The JQC alleged that she purposefully excluded parts of the endorsement that referenced her legislative role. Her attorney, Luis Gonzalez, said that the use of the endorsement was not misleading because she had never served as a judge before and it clearly referenced her past position.[6]
| “ | Your use of misleading campaign materials was inappropriate, and unsuitable for a candidate seeking judicial office. Additionally, your actions constitute a breach of Canons 1, 2A, 7A(3)(b), 7A(3)(c), 7A(3)(d), and 7A(3)(e)(ii).[9] | ” |
| —The Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission[10] | ||
Shepard petitioned the Florida Supreme Court to dismiss the complaint, claiming that most mailers showed that the endorsement was from her 1994 election. Her attorney also requested a more detailed account of the alleged misconduct and to exclude mention of her opponent's qualifications in the complaint. The state supreme court denied these requests.[11] A hearing was initially scheduled for February 3, 2016, but Shepard asked for a delay because she did not have a lawyer. According to her request, she had gone through four attorneys that quit due to pressure from other attorneys, conflicts of interest, and anxiety about the case. The hearing date was moved back to April 8, 2016.[12]
Shepard ended up representing herself at the April 8 hearing. She argued that the campaign mailer was not meant to be misleading, but that she was using the 1994 endorsement as "an accurate reflection of statements made about [her] character, attributed to the source that made it."[13]
The Florida Supreme Court imposed a 90-day suspension for Shepard in 2017 as a result of the case. She appealed the case to the United States Supreme Court, but the court dismissed the appeal in January 2018.[14]
Below is the notice of formal charges against Judge Shepard.
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Recent news
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See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Florida Secretary of State, “Candidate Listing for 2014 General Election,” accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Florida Election Watch, "Circuit Court Judge," accessed August 27, 2014
- ↑ Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, "Circuit and County Courts," accessed May 12, 2020
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kim Shepard for Circuit Judge, "A Life of Service," accessed July 24, 2014
- ↑ Orlando Sentinel, "Ex-winter Park Mayor Snatches House Seat From Shepard," November 9, 1994
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Orlando Sentinel, "Judge faces misconduct charges for campaign ads," September 25, 2015
- ↑ Orlando Sentinel, "Panel: Suspend judge for three months over ad controversy," June 9, 2016
- ↑ Orlando Sentinel, "Judge reprimanded, given suspension after misleading political ad," May 4, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission, "Notice of Formal Charges," September 24, 2015
- ↑ Orlando Sentinel, "Judge in old-endorsement dispute defends 2014 campaign mailers," December 9, 2015
- ↑ Orlando Sentinel, "Judge accused of ethics violations: I'm lawyerless," February 6, 2016
- ↑ Orlando Sentinel, "Judge in ethics case sheds tears in defense of political ad," April 8, 2016
- ↑ Florida Politics, "U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal by Florida judge," January 16, 2018
Federal courts:
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida
State courts:
Florida Supreme Court • Florida District Courts of Appeal • Florida Circuit Court • Florida County Court
State resources:
Courts in Florida • Florida judicial elections • Judicial selection in Florida
