Judge John Contini of Ft. Lauderdale; ethical gremlin

The state of Florida presented John Patrick Contini with a law license in 1983 after he graduated from the New England School of Law.

The Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) found Judge Contini guilty of the following misconduct.

One issue involving Contini began with an email sent by him to an assistant public defender that was later disclosed to prosecutors. Contini’s email included a sentencing order from another court and was viewed by prosecutors as an offer by Contini to perform research and drafting assistance on behalf of the public defender’s office.

As a consequence of Contini’s conduct, the state sought to have him disqualified and subsequently took the matter to the 4^th District Court of Appeal. During the pendency of the appeal, a stay was placed on hundreds of cases involving Judge Contini. A spokesman for the JQC said:

“As a result, many of the cases before your (Contini’s) division were effectively frozen, and defendants who were incarcerated had to remain behind bars because you were unable to make any rulings or determinations in their case.”

In addition, Contini was charged with violating the following judicial canons:

• Was discourteous and impatient with litigants and counsel
• Acted in undignified manner during in-court discussions
• Called state attorney’s position a “lie from the pit of hell”

All that remains now is to see what if any punishment is meted out to Judge Contini by the enablers for Judicial Misfits sitting on the Florida Supreme Court.

As we speak (ca. December 2015), Contini remains sitting as a Family court judge in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.