The following is a real-time transcript taken as closed captioning during the oral argument proceedings, and as such, may contain errors. This service is provided solely for the purpose of assisting those with disabilities and should be used for no other purpose. These are not legal documents, and may not be used as legal authority. This transcript is not an official document of the Florida Supreme Court.

Inquiry Concerning a Judge: Charles W. Cope


GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. AND WELCOME TO THE FLORIDA SUPREME COURT. THE FIRST MATTER ON THE COURT'S DOCKET THIS MORNING IS THE PUBLIC REPRIMAND FOR JUDGE CHARLES COPE. JUDGE COPE, WOULD YOU PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM AND REMAIN STANDING?

BY THESE PROCEEDINGS THIS MORNING, WE ARE REMINDED ONCE AGAIN OF THE DEPENDENCY OF THE THIRD BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT ON PUBLIC TRUST AND CONFIDENCE. TO ENSURE THAT THE MISSION OF THIS BRANCH, THE PUBLICLY RESOLVED PRIVATE, AND PUBLIC DISPUTES AND ADMINISTER A FAIR SYSTEM OF JUSTICE CAN BE CARRIED OUT. UNLIKE THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, WITH ITS ABILITY TO PASS LAWS AND APPROPRIATE MONIES, OR THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, WITH ITS VIRTUALLY UNLIMITED RESOURCES IN PERSONAL NECESSARY AND MATERIALS, THE JUSTICE SYSTEM RELIES ON PUBLIC RESPECT FOR ITS DECISIONS IN ORDER TO FUNCTION EFFECTIVELY. AND EVERY DAY IN A VERY REAL SENSE, THE CREDIBILITY OF THE ENTIRE JUSTICE SYSTEM MAY REST IN THE HANDS OF A SINGLE JUDGE. INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE COURTROOM. AND WHEN A JUDGE GOES ASTRAY, PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THE ENTIRE JUSTICE SYSTEM MAY BE AFFECTED. AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY. YOU JUDGE COPE, A JUDGE, HAVE GONE ASTRAY. IN PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN YOU AND THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN SHAKEN. WE ARE HERE TODAY TO TRY TO HELP MEND AND RESTORE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE BY DEMONSTRATING THAT ALTHOUGH WE CANNOT PREVENT ALL BREACHES OF PUBLIC TRUST, WE CAN PUBLICLY CONDEMN YOUR TRANSGRETIONS AND PUBLICLY WARN YOU THAT FURTHER BREACHES WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. IN FLORIDA, WE HAVE A CONSTITUTIONALLY MANDATED PROCESS FOR DEALING WITH JUDICIAL MISCONDUCT THAT VESTS SUBSTANTIAL AUTHORITY IN FLORIDA'S JUDICIAL QUALIFICATIONS COMMISSION. AND THOSE FLORIDA CITIZENS WHO SERVE THEREON WITH DETERMINING THE FACTS AND MERITS OF CHARGES OF MISCONDUCT. WE HAVE HONORED THAT PROCESS IN YOUR CASE BY APPROVING THE COMMISSION'S INDEPENDENT DETERMINATION THAT CERTAIN CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST YOU WERE NOT ESTABLISHED BY THE LAWFULLY MANDATED STANDARD OF CLEAR AND CONVINCING EVIDENCE. BUT WE HAVE ALSO UPHELD THE COMMISSION'S CONCLUSIONS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN GUILTY OF SERIOUS MISCONDUCT, MANDATING OUR PUBLIC CONDEMNATION. AND IN ADDITION TO REQUIRING YOU PAY THE COSTS OF THE COMMISSION PROCEEDINGS, WE HAVE REJECTED YOUR CLAIM FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF THE SUBSTANTIAL ATTORNEYS FEES AND EXPENSES YOU HAVE INCURRED ARISING OUT OF YOUR MISCONDUCT. WE COMMEND THE COMMISSION AND ITS MEMBERS FOR THEIR DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADHERENCE TO THE STRICT STANDARDS AND RULES THAT GOVERN THEIR PROCEDURE. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF DISCIPLINE OF THE JUDICIAL QUALIFICATIONS COMMISSION, THAT YOU RECEIVE A PUBLIC REPRIMAND AND CONSISTENT WITH OUR LAWS, WE HAVE REQUIRED YOU TO APPEAR BEFORE THIS COURT. THE JUDICIAL QUALIFICATIONS COMMISSION FOUND YOU GUILTY ON TWO COUNTS WITH BRINGING THE JEW DARB DID -- JUDICIARY INTO DISREPUTE. WE HAVE APPROVED THOSE FINDINGS. ACCORDING TO THE COMMISSION'S FINDINGS, YOUR VIOLATIONS AROSE DURING YOUR ATTENDANCE AT A STATE-FUNDED JUDICIAL CONFERENCE IN CARMEL, CALIFORNIA. THE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT ON THE FIRST NIGHT IN CARMEL, YOU BECAME INTOXICATED AND INITIATED CONTACT WITH A WOMAN CONVERSING WITH HER MOTHER, OUTSIDE THEIR SHARED SECOND FLOOR HOTEL ROOM. YOU SUGGESTED THAT THEY BOTH ACCOMPANY YOU TO YOUR HOTEL ROOM, WHICH WAS A FEW BLOCKS AWAY. THE WOMEN AND YOU WALKED DOWN THE MIDDLE OF A PUBLIC STREET TOWARDS YOUR ROOM WHEN YOU WERE STOPPED BY A POLICE OFFICER. THE POLICE OFFICER DETERMINING THAT YOU WERE OBVIOUSLY INTOXICATED, DROVE YOU TO YOUR ROOM AND RETURNED THE WOMEN TO THEIR HOTEL. LATER THAT NIGHT, STILL INTOXICATED, YOU WALKED FROM YOUR HOTEL BACK TO THE WOMAN'S HOTEL AND KNOCKED ON THEIR DOOR. YOU THEN ASKED THE DAUGHTER TO ACCOMPANY YOU FOR A WALK ON THE BEACH. WHILE WALKING ON THE BEACH AND WHILE INTOXICATED, YOU AND THE DAUGHTER KISSED MULTIPLE TIMES. ON THE FOLLOWING NIGHT, YOU AGAIN BECAME INTOXICATED. AGAIN VENTURED OUT INTO PUBLIC SPACES AND YOU AGAIN WERE STOPPED BY THE POLICE BECAUSE OF YOUR OBVIOUS INTOXICATION. OBVIOUSLY THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF A JUDICIAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE IS TO EDUCATE JUDGES. IN FACT, IN FLORIDA, THIS COURT MANDATES THAT JUDGES CONTINUOUSLY PARTICIPATE IN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE AND THE CURRENT STATE OF THE LAW. THE PUBLIC HAS A RIGHT TO EXPECT JUDGES TO TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY SERIOUSLY. INSTEAD AT THIS EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE, YOU BECAME PUBLICLY INTOXICATED ON A NIGHTLY BASIS, AND MADE PUBLIC SEXUAL ADVANCES TO A WOMAN YOU HAD JUST MET. SUCH CONDUCT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR ANYONE. BUT IS MANIFESTLY UNACCEPTABLE FOR A JUDGE. AS A MEMBER OF THIS STATE'S JUDICIARY, YOU ARE EXPECTED TO CONDUCT YOURSELF IN A RESPONSIBLE AND DIGNIFIED MANNER AT ALL TIMES. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE WHEN YOU ARE IN PUBLIC AND WHEN YOU ARE IN A STATE-FUNDED TRIP. A JUDGE IS A JUDGE 24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK. YOUR CONDUCT IN CARMEL, CALIFORNIA HAS TARNISHED THE KRENLT OF FLORIDA'S JUDICIARY. CREDIBILITY IS NOT A QUALITY THAT CAN BE BUILT OR REBUILT OVERNIGHT. HOWEVER AS YOUR CONDUCT PROOFS, IT IS A QUALITY THAT CAN BE DESTROYED OVERNIGHT. NOW BECAUSE OF YOUR IRRESPONSIBLE CONDUCT, THE ENTIRE JUDICIARY IN FLORIDA MUST SHOULDER THE DANIEL YOU INFLICTED TO PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN FLORIDA'S JUDICIARY. WE SINCERELY HOPE THAT THE SANCTION IMPOSED ON YOU TODAY IN THIS PUBLIC CONDEMNATION WILL SERVE AS A CAT TAKE LIFT FOR YOU TO RESOLVE THAT YOU WILL NEST ALLOW YOUR ACTIONS TO DISCREDIT YOUR ROBE AND RESPONSIBILITIES AGAIN. ONLY YOU CAN KNOW HOW SINCERE YOUR CLAIMS OF REMORSE ACTUALLY ARE. WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL TAKE THE LEAD AND ACTIVELY AND VISIBLY DEMONSTRATING TO YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, YOUR COLLEAGUES AND THE CITIZENS OF FLORIDA THAT YOU ARE TRULY REMORSEFUL. WHILE WE HAVE ACCEPTED THE COMMISSION'S EVALUATIONS OF YOUR SINCERITY, ANY SUBSEQUENT VIOLATIONS OF YOUR JUDICIAL OAT WILL BE TREATED HARSHLY. JUDGE COPE, YOU YOUR PUBLIC REPRIMAND IS NOW CONCLUDED AND YOU MAY LEAVE.

NO, I'M AFRAID THE PURPOSE AND INTENT OF THESE PROCEEDINGS IS STRICTLY TO APPLY THE PUBLIC REPRIMAND THAT THIS COURT HAS ORDERED, SO IT WOULD BE OUT OF ORDER FOR ANY OTHER THINGS TO TAKE PLACE. ANY OTHER FILINGS SHOULD BE DIRECTLY WITH THE CLERK OF THIS COURT.