Supreme Court of Florida
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No. SC15-865
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INQUIRY CONCERNING A JUDGE, NO. 14-482
RE: VICTORIA L. GRIFFIN.
[June 18, 2015]
PER CURIAM.
We have for review a stipulation between the Florida Judicial Qualifications
Commission (“JQC”) and Judge Victoria L. Griffin, as well as the JQC’s findings
and recommendation that Judge Griffin be publicly reprimanded for violating the
Code of Judicial Conduct. We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 12, Fla. Const.
“[A]t the inception of her judicial campaign, Judge Griffin failed to follow
Florida law when she opened her campaign account, and lent money to her
campaign prior to filing the necessary qualification paperwork with the qualifying
officer.” Judge Griffin admits that her conduct violated portions of Chapter 106 of
the Florida Statutes and Canons 1, 2(A), 7(A)(3)(a), and 7(E) of the Code of
Judicial Conduct. Further, Judge Griffin accepts full responsibility and
acknowledges that the conduct should not have occurred. We accept the
stipulation and approve the JQC’s findings and recommended sanction of a public
reprimand. Accordingly, we hereby command Judge Griffin to appear before this
Court at a time to be established by the Clerk of this Court.
It is so ordered.
LABARGA, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, CANADY, POLSTON,
and PERRY, JJ., concur.
NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING MOTION, AND
IF FILED, DETERMINED.
Original Proceeding – Judicial Qualifications Commission
Ricardo Morales, III, Chair, and Alexander John Williams, Assistant General
Counsel, Tallahassee, Florida,
for Judicial Qualifications Commission, Petitioner
Judge Victoria L. Griffin, pro se, Nineteenth Judicial Circuit, Vero Beach, Florida,
for Respondent
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