The Florida Supreme Court opinion in Florida Bar v. Gardiner is available in Adobe .pdf format.
"Florida Supreme Court disbars former Broward Judge Ana Gardiner," is by Tonya Alanez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
The Florida Supreme Court has disbarred former Broward Circuit Judge Ana Gardiner from the practice of law.
During a death penalty case that was before her in 2007, Gardiner and the prosecutor engaged in a clandestine and improper "personal and emotional relationship," exchanging 949 cellphone calls and 471 text messages.
"Considering Gardiner's dishonest conduct and the harm that her actions have caused to the administration of justice in a capital first-degree murder case, we conclude that disbarment is the appropriate sanction," the state's Supreme Court justices wrote in a unanimous decision released Thursday.
And:
Gardiner, 52, served as a judge from 1999 until her resignation in 2010.
Gardiner resigned while the Judicial Qualifications Commission was reviewing the misconduct allegations and agreed never to run for another judgeship.
"Former judge disbarred for handling of murder case," is the AP filing via WCTV-TV.
The court on Thursday took away the law license of former Broward County Circuit Judge Ana Gardiner. The high court said the severe sanction was appropriate because Gardiner's actions resulted in a new trial in a murder case.
During the 2007 trial, prosecutor Howard Scheinberg and Gardiner began a secret personal relationship and exchanged repeated phone calls and texts. Gardiner was presiding over the trial.
Omar Loureiro was convicted of first-degree murder, and Gardiner sentenced him to death. The conviction was thrown out after her relationship with Scheinberg was disclosed. Loureiro was convicted after a second trial and sentenced to life in prison.
The Broward Palm Beach New Times posts, "Broward Judge Ana Gardiner Disbarred by Florida Supreme Court," by Chris Joseph.
Former embattled Broward Circuit Judge Ana Gardiner has been disbarred from practicing law by the Florida Supreme Court.
Back in 2008, New Times broke the story of Gardiner's improper sexual relationship with then-prosecutor and Assistant State Attorney Howard Scheinberg during a death penalty trial.
Gardiner and Scheinberg had both been working the Omar Loureiro murder trial, with Scheinberg as the prosecuting attorney and Gardiner as the judge of the case.
When confronted with the relationship, as well as the 49 phone calls and 471 text messages between the two, Gardiner lied under oath.
Earlier coverage of the case begins at the link.
In Texas, a secret relationship between a judge and a prosecutor during a capital murder trial had a very different ending. Coverage of the case of Charles Dean Hood begins at the link
Comments