PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — A local judge accused of abuse of power by a local state attorney has resigned.
Action News Jax’s Ben Becker told you last year when the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC), an independent state agency charged with investigating allegations of judicial misconduct, filed a ruling that it found probable cause that Putnam County Court Judge Anne Marie Gennusa improperly held numerous people in criminal contempt of court since she was appointed to the bench in 2023.
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Gennusa’s resignation comes before the JQC could make a ruling.
In her resignation letter to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Gennusa said she’s returning to private practice and plans to open law offices in Palatka and St. Augustine.
The resignation is effective on October 31. Read Gennusa’s letter below:
What happened?
“This is not the Jerry Springer Show,” Judge Gennusa said during a emotional misdemeanor battery case in January, where the JQC said she provoked the defendant before holding him in criminal contempt of court.
Then the JQC report said Judge Gennusa admonished the alleged victim, using “sarcasm” when saying the word alleged, and then injected herself during the conversation between the victim and prosecutor from the State Attorney’s Office Seventh Judicial Circuit.
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Seventh Judicial Circuit State Attorney R.J. Larizza, who serves Putnam, St. Johns, Volusia, and Flagler counties represents the rights of victims. He sent Becker a statement that reads, “This video is a disturbing example of abuse of Judicial power and authority. The video speaks for itself.”
The JQC investigation revealed in November 2023, Judge Gennusa held a mother of three minor children in criminal contempt during a truancy hearing. It’s after the children missed school because one witnessed the murder of their grandfather by their father.
The mother was sentenced to ten days in jail.
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Also in November 2023, a man was in court for driving on an invalid license, a second-degree misdemeanor. But after uttering an obscenity towards a deputy, Gennusa sentenced him to 60 days in jail.
Overall, the JQC concluded, “…You [Judge Gennusa] have conducted improper or legally deficient contempt proceedings, failing to adhere to basic principles of due process. You have also failed to comport yourself with the patience, dignity, and courtesy expected of judges, and failed to act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.”
Gennusa appeared before the JQC and acknowledged her conduct was below standard and did not comply with the law regarding contempt powers. The JQC could have made a recommendation to the Florida Supreme Court, which could order a reprimand, her removal, or no action.
What’s next?
The Judicial Nominating Committee (JNC) is expected to convene to make recommendations to DeSantis to fill the spot for not only Gennusa, but also Judge Libby Morris, who recently announced her retirement effective November 30 after 25 years on the bench.
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