Laura Marie Watson
Laura Marie Watson was a judge of the Seventeenth Circuit Court in Broward County, Florida. She was elected in 2012 and began serving on the court in January of 2013.[1][2] She was removed from the bench by the Florida Supreme Court in June 2015 for misconduct violation. (Read the full story below.)[3]
Education
Watson earned her B.A. in English from Stetson University and was awarded a J.D. from the university's law school.[4]
Career
Prior to being elected to the court in 2012, Watson was an attorney in private practice in Broward County. Watson was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1985.[4]
Elections
2012
Watson defeated Julio E. Gonzalez, Jr. in the general election on November 6, 2012, receiving 50.9 percent of the vote.[5][2]
Watson received 27.4 percent of the vote in the primary election on August, 14, 2012.[6][7]
- See also: Florida judicial elections, 2012
Noteworthy events
Misconduct accusations
Charges filed (2013)
In July 2013, the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) filed misconduct charges against Judge Watson. According to the complaint, the commission claimed Watson engaged in improper conduct during 2004 settlement negotiations in a civil lawsuit. The events in question allegedly took place when Watson was still an attorney. She was elected as a judge in November 2012.[8]
Watson's law firm represented doctors in a 2002 civil lawsuit against Progressive Insurance. Her firm's clients sued for the reimbursement of unpaid claims from the insurance company. Other doctors, represented by other attorneys, also claimed they never received payments from the company. However, in their legal action, the plaintiffs accused Progressive Insurance of systematically failing to pay claims. The doctors represented by Watson's firm eventually received their payments; however, the other doctors said they never received any payments.
The Florida Bar began investigating Watson in 2012, but was not able to complete its investigation prior to the time she ran for judicial office. (The bar has no authority to investigate complaints against judges.) Once Watson was elected to the bench, the JQC initiated an investigation into the matter on July 24, 2012.
Watson chose to represent herself in the matter. She sought to have the charges against her dismissed on the grounds that she was not guilty of any wrongdoing, and that the committee did not have jurisdiction to bring charges related to the incident against her. She also noted that she was exonerated of any improper behavior in a 2008 civil lawsuit.
In her response to the charges, Watson stated:
| “ | ...The Florida Bar never filed formal charges against Watson and the statute of limitations for them to do so has long since expired...It is unjust and unfair to allow the (Judicial Qualifications Committee) to proceed on matters that the Bar may have diligently pursued but chose not to.[9][10] | ” |
Judge Kerry Evander on the Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal was assigned to review the misconduct allegations against Watson. The JQC's special prosecutor, Miles McGrane, was required to turn over any documents related to the investigation, as well as the commission's transcripts from witness interviews, by December 16, 2013. Watson requested that the misconduct charges against her be dropped. She also threatened to bring legal action against the commission.[8]
The JQC disagreed with Watson's contention that her actions as an attorney had no bearing on her fitness to serve as a judge. The commission filed deposition testimony given by Watson's paralegal, during that 2007 lawsuit, for possible use as evidence during the misconduct trial against Watson. The JQC also indicated it might use Watson's own testimony, which she gave during the lawsuit.[11] A link to all the documents filed in the case with the supreme court can be accessed here. The court's online docket for this matter can also be accessed here.
Trial (2014)
Though Judge Watson initially represented herself alone, she named Robert Sweetapple as co-counsel in January 2014. The final hearing began on February 10, 2014. Sweetapple tried to delay the trial and filed a request indicating he had a conflict with the trial date. However, the Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) objected to his request and noted, "Wherefore, if there is a conflict, it is a conflict that exists solely because of Mr. Sweetapple's actions."[12]
Watson gave her own opening statement at the trial. According to the Sun Sentinel, "Watson went on the offensive, accusing the JQC of allowing itself to be used as a collection agency for attorneys that had a dispute with her firm."[13] She later took the stand to testify.
The trial was conducted at the Broward County Courthouse before Judge Evander.[13]
Before the final day of the hearing, Watson sued the JQC, the commission's attorneys and some of the members of the hearing panel in federal court in February 2014. Her case was dismissed and the hearing was completed.
In April, the JQC recommended that Watson be removed from the bench. According to commission's records, Watson was the first Broward County judge, in at least 14 years, to suffer the most severe penalty for judicial misconduct.[14]
The hearing panel wrote in its recommendation, issued on April 15, 2014, "Temptation overrode Judge Watson's ethics, despite advance warning. She sold out her clients, her co-counsel and ultimately herself. This conduct is 'fundamentally inconsistent with the responsibilities of judicial office,' and mandates removal."[15]
Removal (2015)
On June 18, 2015, the Florida Supreme Court followed the recommendation of the JQC and ruled that Watson must be removed from the bench.[3]
| “ | We find that Judge Watson's actions while a practicing attorney, and her demeanor during these [JQC] proceedings cast serious doubts on her ability to be perceived as truthful by those who may appear before her in her courtroom. Accordingly, we find that removal is the appropriate sanction. It is so ordered.[10] | ” |
| —Florida Supreme Court[3] | ||
It was unclear at the time of the ruling how much time Watson had to request a rehearing. According to Sweetapple, this was the first time the supreme court removed a judge who had not violated the Code of Judicial Conduct. He said, "the Court is simply substituting its view of Judge Watson's character for that of the electorate, which voted her into office despite knowledge of the conduct at issue. I fear we are at the top of a very slippery slope."[3]
In January 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Watson's appeal of the state supreme court's decision.[16]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Laura Watson Judge Florida. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
- 17th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, accessed June 3, 2014
- Facebook, "Watson for Judge," accessed June 3, 2014
- Sun Sentinel, "Broward commissioner loses bid to be judge," August 15, 2012
Footnotes
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "Candidate Tracking System, Laura Marie Watson," accessed June 3, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Florida Election Watch, "Unofficial 2012 General Election Results - Circuit Court Judge"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Sun Sentinel, "Supreme Court orders Broward Judge Laura Watson removed," June 18, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Watson for Judge
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "Official November 6, 2012 General Election Results"
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "2012 Unofficial Primary Election Results: Circuit Court Judge"
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "2012 Candidate Listing"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Sun Sentinel, "Judge Watson fights misconduct accusation," August 26, 2013
- ↑ Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission, "Inquiry Concerning a Judge No. 12-613, Laura M. Watson, Objection to Scope of Status Conference and Renewed Motion for Extension of Time at page 19," accessed August 30, 2013
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Before the Investigative of the Panel of the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission, State of Florida, "Inquiry Concerning a judge, Laura Marie Watson, No. 12-613, No. SC13-1333," accessed April 5, 2014
- ↑ Before the Investigative Panel of the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission, State of Florida, "Judicial Qualifications Commission's Response to Robert A. Sweetapple's Notice of Trial Conflict," January 13, 2014
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Sun Sentinel, "Broward Judge Watson defends self against ethics charges," February 11, 2014
- ↑ Sun Sentinel, "Panel recommends removal of Broward Judge Laura Watson," April 16, 2014
- ↑ Before the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission, "Inquiry Concerning Judge Laura Marie Watson, No. 12-613, Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations of the Hearing Panel, Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission," April 15, 2014
- ↑ ABA Journal, "Judge's battle to stay on bench ends at SCOTUS, but ethics case is still ongoing," January 12, 2016
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
