SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Sarcastic, undignified and unprofessional.
That is how the Judicial Qualifications Commission described a Seminole County judge now facing suspension.
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In a video provided by the Florida Supreme Court, Judge Wayne Culver can be seen swearing at a defendant who was also acting out. He also unlawfully sentenced a man to a year and a half in jail for contempt weeks earlier.
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Culver was elected in 2020, taking the bench in January of 2021. Now, he’s looking at a 60-day suspension for two incidents of misconduct in court.
According to paperwork, the first incident happened on Jan. 25, when a litigant in his court interrupted the court proceedings.
Culver told him that if he didn’t stop, he would send him to jail for so long that the jail would be named after him.
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Culver said he was just trying to get his attention, but the commission wrote that sarcasm and mockery was inappropriate.
In the second incident, the judge is accused of not only using profanity, but also being threatening.
The JQC said he should be suspended and publicly apologize.
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The court said Culver has cooperated fully, accepted full responsibility and acknowledged that such conduct should have never occurred.
The Supreme Court has the ultimate authority to discipline judges.
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