Published on December 12, 2023 at 10:49 am
A St. Johns County judge could face a public reprimand after an investigation into whether she improperly injected partisanship into her election campaign and made a misleading statement about fundraising.
Judge Casey Woolsey “admitted that her conduct was inappropriate” and violated judicial canons, according to a document filed Monday at the Florida Supreme Court by an investigative panel of the state Judicial Qualifications Commission.
Jacksonville Today thanks our sponsors. Become one.
The panel recommended a public reprimand, though the Supreme Court has final say about disciplining judges.
Woolsey, who was first elected in 2022, was accused of describing herself as a “conservative” in recorded phone messages to voters, violating a prohibition on partisanship in judicial races. She also was accused of a misleading Facebook post about how much money she had raised for her campaign, according to filings at the Supreme Court.
“Distilled down, Judge Woolsey made representations about her candidacy that were improper and misleading,” Judicial Qualifications Commission findings said. “Judge Woolsey admitted these violations should not have happened and addressed how she would handle campaigns differently in the future.
Jacksonville Today thanks our sponsors. Become one.
“Judge Woolsey admitted that it was incumbent upon her to know the canons and follow the canons, and that being in her first campaign was not an excuse for the failures at issue.
“The commission believes that a public reprimand of Judge Woolsey will be sufficient to deter similar misconduct by Judge Woolsey in the future and will also serve as a reminder to future candidates for judicial office that they must protect the integrity of non-partisan judicial elections by refraining from using, advertising, or implying partisan endorsements.”
