Judge receives public reprimand for comments during hearing

The Florida Supreme Court has ordered Second Circuit Judge J. Layne Smith be publicly reprimanded for making intemperate and discourteous comments to attorneys and parties during a 2025 hearing.

Acting September 24 in Case No. SC2026-0476, the court accepted a joint stipulation between Smith and the Judicial Qualifications Commission and imposed the commission’s recommended discipline.

The conduct occurred September 23, 2025, during a hearing in a Wakulla County. Smith became frustrated after learning that the attorneys could not confirm whether a party had been properly served.

During the hearing, Smith made several comments that the court said were not patient, dignified, or courteous and evidenced bias against the attorneys.

At one point, Smith told the parties, “I would like to tell the deputy to pull his gun and shoot all three of you as far as my level of frustration right now. I really don’t want him to do that.” He also referred to the attorneys as the “Keystone Cops” and the “Apple Dumpling Gang.”

Smith recused himself from the case on his own accord October 2, 2025. He later self-reported his conduct, issued a public apology, and recused himself from any remaining cases involving the parties.

The court said Smith’s conduct violated several provisions of the Code of Judicial Conduct, including requirements that judges be patient, dignified, and courteous and perform their duties without bias or prejudice.

In recommending a public reprimand, the commission noted that Smith has no prior disciplinary history and was remorseful and cooperative during the proceedings. The commission also noted that he has implemented procedures, including taking recesses and necessary adjournments, when faced with contentious proceedings.

“Although we accept the Commission’s recommendation, we emphasize that Judge Smith’s conduct fell far below the standard of professionalism that Florida judges owe to those who appear before them,” the court said.

The Supreme Court ordered Smith to appear before the court for administration of the public reprimand at a time to be set by the clerk.

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.