► Judge Linda Schoonover of Sanford, FL; ethical misfit Print E-mail
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Judge Linda Schoonover of Sanford, FL; ethical misfit

 

The state of Florida presented Linda Derosier Schoonover with a law license in 1985 after she graduated from Seton Hall UniversityLawSchool. 

 

Linda succeeded in duping the voters in SeminoleCounty into electing her as a 18th Circuit Court judge.

 

In a January 2014 opinion, the Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal ruled that Linda’s conduct in reaching out to litigant via a Facebook request in a divorce case she was presiding over required that she remove herself.

 

Linda found it acceptable to reach out to litigant Sandra Chace ex parte (one sided) with a friend request.

 

Ms. Chace’s lawyer stated that when she denied Judge Schoonover’s friend request, the judge retaliated by giving her most of the marital debt in her divorce, and giving her husband, Robert Loisel Jr., a larger alimony award.

 

 

The appellate court overturned a prior order denying Ms. Chace’s motion to disqualify Schoonover. The court went on to say:

 

  • “It It seems clear that a judge’s ex parte communication with a party presents a legally sufficient claim for disqualification, particularly in the case where the party’s failure to respond to a Facebook ‘friend’ request creates a reasonable fear of offending the solicitor.”
  • “The ‘friend’ request placed the litigant between the proverbial rock and a hard place: either engage in improper ex parte communications with the judge presiding over the case, or risk offending the judge by not accepting the ‘friend’ request.” 

As we speak (ca. April 2014), Schoonover remains sitting as a Circuit Court judge in Seminole County, Florida.

 

 

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