18th Judicial circuit judges cited most on official misconduct, records show

Commission: 5 judges in Seminole, Brevard counties found guilty

The 18th Circuit Court, which is comprised of Seminole and Brevard counties, takes the No. 1 spot when it comes judges found guilty of official misconduct, according to records by the Judicial Qualifications Commission.

Over the last year, the JQC has found five judges in the 18th Circuit guilty of misconduct.

That compares to other circuits in Central Florida, where no judges were cited.
That includes the largest -- the Ninth Circuit Court, which includes Orange and Osceola counties.

In the 18th Circuit, Brevard County Judge John C. Murphy made national headlines when he challenged a public defender to a fistfight in court.

Linda Schoonover resigned after being found guilty of misconduct in two separate cases.

Judge Jessica Reckseidler was found guilty for being pulled over several times for speeding and not telling a judicial panel about one of those instances.

Judge Debra Krause was suspended for 30 days for a Facebook post, in which she accused a woman who ran against her husband for a judicial post of lying.

Now, News 6 has found out Judge Jeri Collins could find herself under investigation by the same panel.

Courtroom video captured her berating a domestic violence victim in court for not showing up to a hearing to try her husband on battery charges.

The JQC told News 6 their investigations are kept confidential until such a time when a judge is found guilty.

A JQC spokesman said the process usually takes about one month.
 


About the Author

Erik Sandoval joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2013 and became an Investigator in 2020. During his time at News 6, Erik has covered several major stories, including the 2016 Presidential campaign. He was also one of the first reporters live on the air at the Pulse Nightclub shooting.

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