Linda Schoonover
Linda D. Schoonover was a Seminole County judge for the 18th Judicial Circuit Court. The court presides over Brevard and Seminole counties in Florida. She was elected on August 24, 2010, to a six-year term.[1][2][3] Schoonover resigned from the bench on May 26, 2015, before she was scheduled to appear before a judicial ethics panel.[4]See: "In the news section" below.
Education
Schoonover received her undergraduate degree from Florida State University in 1977 and her J.D. degree from the Stetson University College of Law in 1985.[1][5]
Career
- 2011-2015: Judge, 18th Judicial Circuit Court
- 1994-Present: Mediator, Florida Supreme Court
- 1989-2010: Senior attorney, Schoonover Law Firm
- 1985-1989: Attorney, Gray, Harris & Robinson, P.A. [1]
Noteworthy events
Judge removed from case after sending Facebook friend request
Schoonover was accused of sending a Facebook friend request to Sandra Chace, a party in a divorce proceeding over which Schoonover was assigned to preside. Chace's lawyer advised her to decline the friend request, which a Florida court of appeal found to be an ex parte communication. (Judges are forbidden to communicate with any party in a case over which they are presiding unless all parties and their attorneys are present.)[6]
After Chace declined Schoonover's friend request, the judge entered a final dissolution decree in Chace's marriage to Robert Loisel, Jr. The judgement made Chace responsible for the bulk of the debts from the marriage and gave a large alimony award to Loisel. Following the judgement, Chace filed a formal complaint stating she believed the excessive alimony award and debt allocation decision were the result of retaliation by Schoonover after Chace did not accept her Facebook friend request.[6]
Chace filed a motion to have the judge disqualify herself in the case; however, Schoonover dismissed the motion as being "legally insufficient." Florida's Fifth District Court of Appeal ruled that Schoonover incorrectly denied Chace's motion and ordered Schoonover to disqualify herself from the case which was sent back to the trial court to be heard by another judge.[6]
Ethics complaint filed against Schoonover
On August 25, 2014, the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) filed an ethics complaint against Schoonover for "a pattern of behavior which is inexplicable, appears to demonstrate instability and is disruptive to the 18th Judicial Circuit.”[7][8]
The charges listed cited a previous complaint that had been filed by either Schoonover or someone acting on Schoonover's behalf, expressing concern that her offices had been bugged and that Chief Judge Alan A. Dickey had tried to influence her decision-making as a judge. The list of charges also included Schoonover's repeated expressions of paranoia about other judges and their treatment of her, the refusal of other judges to act as her mentor due to her paranoid allegations, her installation of video cameras in her courtroom to monitor others, and complaints that her caseload was excessive in relation to other judges.[8]
The JQC has also formally charged Schoonover with a "failure to maintain high standards of conduct," a "failure to maintain the appearance of impartiality and to avoid the appearance of impropriety," a "failure to show professional competence in the law and execution of [her] duties," and her failure "to effectively manage [her] docket and fulfill [her] judicial duties."[8] The full notice of formal charges can be read here.[9]
Schoonover resigns before facing ethics panel(2015)
On May 8, 2015, Chief Judge John M. Harris of the 18th Judicial Circuit Court sent a letter to Schoonover for her failure to show up for work for four weeks. Harris, in the letter remarked:
| “ | Remarkably, you have not troubled yourself to check on the status of any of the very serious cases assigned to you nor to even extend the courtesy of thanking those judges who are doing your work every day...The indefinite and unsupported leave of absence you have placed yourself on is creating a continued burden on the efficient administration of justice in Seminole County...Other judges in Seminole County are growing increasingly frustrated with your inability or unwillingness to provide any information as to the reasons for your absence or its anticipated duration.[10][11] | ” |
Schoonover later stated that the reason for her absence was an ongoing illness, though she did not specify what kind of illness it was.[10] On May 26, 2015, Schoonover resigned from the bench before she was set to appear before the judicial ethics panel.[4]
Elections
2010
Schoonover was elected to the 18th Judicial Circuit Court. She defeated incumbent Clayton D. Simmons in the primary election, receiving 51.8% of the vote. She ran unopposed in the general election.[12][2][13]
- Main article: Florida judicial elections, 2010
See also
- Florida Circuit Courts
- Brevard County, Florida
- Seminole County, Florida
- Judicial selection in Florida
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 18th Judicial Circuit Courts, "Seminole Circuit Judge - Linda D. Schoonover," accessed September 2, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Florida Department of State, Division of Elections, "August 24, 2010 Primary Election Results," accessed September 2, 2014
- ↑ Judicial selection in Florida
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 NY Daily News, "Florida judge, accused of bizarre ethics violations including retaliation for Facebook friend request, resigns," May 27, 2015
- ↑ Orlando Sentinel, "Candidate Blogs: Linda Schoonover," accessed September 2, 2014
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 District Court of Appeal, State of Florida, Fifth District, "Sandra Chace v. Robert Loisel, Jr., Case No. 5D13-4449," January 24, 2014
- ↑ ABA Journal, "Ethics complaint cites judge's 'inexplicable' and 'bizarre' behavior and 'paranoia'," August 26, 2014
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 The Florida Supreme Court, "Inquiry Concerning a Judge: Judge Linda D. Schoonover, Notice of Formal Charges," August 25, 2014
- ↑ The Florida Supreme Court, "Briefs & Other Documents in Case No. 14-1647," accessed September 2, 2014
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 WESH.com, "Seminole County judge absent from work amid misconduct allegations, chief judge says," May 14, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Orlando Sentinel, "Wallis wins his first full term on the bench," August 25, 2010
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "Linda Schoonover, 2010"
