Judge is suspended for using edited 20-year-old endorsement during campaign
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A Florida judge has been suspended for using an edited and misleading version of a 20-year-old newspaper endorsement in her 2014 judicial campaign.
The Florida Supreme Court upheld findings that Judge Kimberly Shepard violated ethics rules barring candidates from misrepresenting their qualifications and imposed a 90-day, unpaid suspension, report Law360 (sub. req.), The Associated Press, Florida Politics and the Legal Profession Blog.
Shepard didn’t include the date of the endorsement and edited out language that would have clued in readers that the newspaper had endorsed her for a state legislative seat, rather than a judgeship, according to factual findings.
The Orlando Sentinel had endorsed Shepard’s opponent in the judicial election.
