© 2024 WFSU Public Media
WFSU News · Tallahassee · Panama City · Thomasville
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Chief Justice Reprimands Hamilton Circuit Judge

Hamilton County Circuit Judge Andrew Decker is paying the price for ethical violations while he was an attorney and for an overly aggressive campaign.

The Florida Supreme Court suspended Decker without pay for six months for violating conflict of interest rules and identifying himself as a pro-life Republican in a non-partisan race.

Chief Justice Jorge (George) Labarga warned Decker he faces harsher punishment for future violations. 

“This is a settled claim bill in the amount of 1.5 million dollars to compensate Angela Sanford for injuries that were caused by a Leon County ambulance. There’s insurance to pay the claim.”

Republican Representative Halsey Beshears is sponsoring the companion measure. The Senate approved a similar bill last year, but the House was refusing to approve any so-called claims bills at the time.

A Miami native, former WFSU reporter Jim Ash is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years of experience, most of it in print. He has been a member of the Florida Capital Press Corps since 1992.