ORLANDO, Fla. – The Florida Supreme Court is not accepting a plan to reprimand a Central Florida judge over a perceived racial remark during a plea hearing last year, nor for telling two defense attorneys to “shut up” during a jury selection proceeding.
As News 6’s Mike DeForest told you earlier this year, the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) filed documents March 26 in the Florida Supreme Court recommending a public reprimand for Ninth Circuit Judge John Jordan, who serves in Orange and Osceola counties.
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Jordan had agreed to the reprimand and admitted his conduct violated the state’s Code of Judicial Conduct.
But on Thursday, in a unanimous decision, the Florida Supreme Court announced that it was rejecting the JQC’s recommendation and ordered the matter go back to a disciplinary hearing panel for a final resolution.
The court did not give a reason for its decision.
Jordan presided over a July 2025 plea hearing involving a 33-year-old Black female defendant in a felony battery case who was eligible to complete 30 hours of community service.
While discussing how to fulfill that requirement, Jordan turned to the defendant and her great-uncle, who is also Black, according to the records.
“(Do) you own any land where I could have her work it for 30 hours?” Jordan asked, according to the transcript included in the JQC’s findings.
After the great-uncle laughed, Jordan continued.
“All my family’s farming. They’d love me out there,” Jordan said, according to the records. “You ever chopped cotton before? You know what that is? You take a hoe and you knock out the weeds. That’ll straighten you up real quick doing that stuff.”
Jordan later told the JQC panel that he comes from a farming background and spent summers as a youth working his relatives’ farm fields in Texas.
The circuit court judge said this was the first and only time he had ever inquired whether a defendant had “chopped cotton.”
Jordan claimed he failed to consider how his comments could be interpreted in light of the historically demeaning stereotype associating Black people with picking cotton, records show.
In a separate incident in April 2025, Jordan reportedly became impatient with two public defenders during jury selection for an aggravated battery case
“How much time do you need? Can I get you something to eat? Something to drink?” Jordan sarcastically asked, according to the transcripts.
When the defenders complained they were being rushed and treated unfairly, Jordan — in a raised voice captured on the trial’s audio recording — ordered them to be quiet three times.
“Shut up,” Jordan said.
“That is rude,” responded one of the public defenders.
“Shut up,” Jordan repeated.
“No. That is very rude,” the public defender replied.
“Shut up. I’m not going to listen to two people arguing. I’ll listen to one. Okay?” Jordan responded, according to the records.
One of the public defenders subsequently moved for a mistrial and sought to have Jordan disqualified, citing his behavior. Jordan immediately denied both motions.
The confrontation continued when the public defender described Jordan’s unprofessional tone on the record later that day.
“Okay. So, your sarcastic remark is noted. And that’s not how it went down, but I understand what is going on. I’m declaring a mistrial and we’ll get another judge for you,” Jordan said, according to the documents.
“No. I’m done. I’m not going to deal with this pettiness like this,” he added, ending the proceedings.