Panel to investigate suspended Broward judge
There might be more trouble ahead for Broward County Judge Claudia Robinson, who agreed late last month to a 30-day suspension over accusations that she steered official work to a civil mediator who worked as an unpaid adviser on her 2014 political campaign.
The state’s Judicial Qualifications Commission, which announced an agreement with Robinson on Dec. 1, filed a motion with the state Supreme Court late Thursday calling for that agreement to be put on hold as an investigative panel looks into “additional matters.”
The motion gives the JQC the option of deciding whether to keep its agreement with Robinson or pursue harsher penalties.
The JQC’s proceedings are legally secret until official charges against targeted judges are filed, an it’s not clear what the “additional matters” are.
Robinson’s attorney, Jack Seiler, declined to comment on the development.
Robinson in 2014 narrowly defeated incumbent Judge Ian Richards. Assigned to handle civil and small claims, Robinson appointed more than 80 percent of her division’s mediation cases to Michael Ahearn, who had worked on her campaign.
Ahearn has worked as a mediator for more than a decade and is paid more than $300 an hour for his services.
According to the JQC’s agreement, Robinson admitted creating an appearance of favoritism and accepted an unpaid 30-day suspension.
The Supreme Court has the final say over whether to accept such an agreement. But the JQC is now asking the court to wait until its investigative panel reviews the new information.
rolmeda@sunsentinel.com