ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Court documents reveal a years-long conflict between mega personal injury firm Morgan & Morgan and Orange County Judge Jeff Ashton.
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9 Investigates found between 2018 to 2023 the firm’s lawyers filed at least seven separate motions attempting to disqualify Ashton from presiding in their case because of alleged bias.
Morgan & Morgan filed a complaint against Ashton with Florida’s Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC), the state’s judicial watchdog, in July 2023.
Read: Orange County Judge Jeff Ashton accused of concerning behavior in his courtroom
JQC’s investigative panel filed formal charges against Ashton on Wednesday, accusing him of shouting in the courtroom and showing bias.
Ashton garnered national attention when he prosecuted Casey Anthony.
In court documents, Morgan & Morgan’s attorneys claim that Ashton showed “a pattern of explicit bias” against their firm.
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The firm accuses Ashton of using inappropriate body language and gestures toward their team and clients and making “snide comments” about Morgan and Morgan’s advertising slogans.
In several instances, lawyers allege Ashton yelled at their attorneys, and in some cases, the shouting could be heard over the white noise machine in a sidebar conversation.
The personal injury firm claims in court documents, that Ashton lost his temper and threatened to hold Daniel Morgan, the son of the firm’s founder, in direct criminal contempt of the court.
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Some Morgan & Morgan lawyers dubbed Ashton’s treatment of the firm as the “Morgan Rule.”
One lawyer alleged Ashton “instructs counsel they are not allowed to mention Morgan and Morgan” during jury selection, adding “to sterilize the trial of any mention of the firm is unrealistic and unfair.”
9 Investigates found some of the firm’s clients provided statements in these petitions to get a new judge or trial.
“I feel that I did not receive a fair and impartial trial or treatment by Judge Jeffrey Ashton because of comments, body gestures, rolling his eyes, pulling his hair, and constantly admonishing my lawyer both off and on the record during the trial that started on February 6, 2023, which I thought were very negative about my attorneys at Morgan and Morgan. I believed then and now that they demonstrated that Judge Ashton has a personal bias or prejudice against my lawyers and the law firm of Morgan and Morgan,” one woman wrote.
Robert Ingram, the former chair of the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission, said if these allegations are true, it’s “troubling.”
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“I mean a judge should not lose their patience,” Ingram said.
Ingram said the commission’s hearing panel will be looking at whether there’s evidence to back these allegations. From there, the panel will recommend whether Ashton should face discipline. Punishment could include a fine, suspension, or removal from office.
Ingram said complaints received by these commissions are frivolous and dismissed, but each JQC is tasked with reviewing each complaint thoroughly.
“Their primary goal is making sure that judges put forward a face of the judiciary that is something that generates trust in their decisions, and not being biased in them, not being prejudice in their ability to hear things that might be upsetting but continue to remain calm and make decisions based upon the evidence,” Ingram said.
As for the alleged “Morgan Rule” where lawyers claim they couldn’t use the firm’s name in court, Ingram says the judge could have a good reason not to allow mention of it.
“Just based upon one law firm saturating a community with television ads that may cause a juror to either favor them or disfavor them, then I can see where it might be appropriate for the judge to say, I don’t want to hear the firm’s names during the case. Let’s focus on the evidence and focus on the law,” Ingram said.
Channel 9 reached out to Morgan & Morgan for comment on Friday, but we have not heard back.
Judge Ashton’s lawyer would not comment on the latest allegations on whether Ashton was specifically biased against Morgan & Morgan.
Ashton’s attorney provided the following statement regarding the Judicial Qualifications Commission’s notice of charges:
“Judge Jeffrey Ashton is aware of the Notice of Formal Charges filed yesterday afternoon by the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC). He is disappointed the JQC chose to publicize this matter 34 days before the upcoming election. Judge Ashton looks forward to addressing these accusations through the JQC process over the coming months. Judge Ashton has been a respected member of the Central Florida legal community for over 40 years. He served with honor and distinction as an Assistant State Attorney for 30 years, and as the elected State Attorney for Orange and Osceola Counties for 4 years. He has served as a Circuit Court judge in central Florida since his election in 2018. He looks forward to addressing these claims and continuing to serve the citizens of Central Florida as a judge.”
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