Palm Beach County Judge Barry M. Cohen reprimanded by Florida Supreme Court
The discipline came about 13 months after Cohen admitted violating five areas of the state code of conduct for judges, including always avoiding the appearance of impropriety.
“This should be a sad day for you,” Chief Justice Ricky Polston told a glum-faced Cohen, who previously said he regretted and apologized for his actions. “It is a sad day for us. But most importantly, this is a sad day for the entire judiciary.”
The Judicial Qualifications Commission, which examines judicial misconduct claims, recommended the reprimand and no further sanctions, noting “despite Judge Cohen's statements, his rulings and decisions were not adversely affected.”
The independent agency’s investigative panel in October 2012 had filed formal charges against Cohen, charging him with using his position as a “bully pulpit” and undermining the role of a judge “as a neutral and detached magistrate.”
In a signed stipulation in March 2013, Cohen stated he merely wanted to “engage in a dialogue designed to improve the law and the administration of justice.”
The judge said he never intended to make it appear he was not impartial when he criticized the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office for its handling of several criminal cases, alleged racial profiling by police and racial bias in the justice system, and made published comments about the 2012 election for state attorney.
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Palm Beach County Judge Barry M. Cohen reprimanded by Florida Supreme Court
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