Broward Circuit Judge Stefanie Moon appeared before the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday to receive a public reprimand for misconduct on the bench — standing silently as the justices recounted a series of ethical violations committed during her 2024 re-election campaign.
The reprimand formally concludes a disciplinary case in which Moon was accused of asking an attorney from the bench why he had not returned a fundraising call, engaging in ex-parte communication with a witness in a restraining order case, and making partisan political donations, all in violation of judicial ethics rules.
“Your behavior in these instances is unacceptable,” Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz told Moon. “You have discredited yourself, and your thoughtless actions have risked undermining public confidence in the judiciary as a whole. We hope never to see you again under circumstances like this.”
Moon did not dispute the allegations before the Judicial Qualifications Commission. She previously served a 10-day suspension and paid a $2,115 fine as part of her discipline. Her appearance before the Supreme Court lasted less than three minutes, during which she did not speak.
The commission’s investigation found that Moon’s misconduct began in February 2024, when she was in the midst of her first re-election campaign. While presiding over court in her robe, she questioned a lawyer — who supported her opponent — about not returning a recent call. That call, she later admitted, had been a campaign solicitation. The commission labeled her conduct “inherently coercive.”
Moon’s case is one of five disciplinary actions brought this year against Broward County judges by the Judicial Qualifications Commission, highlighting a period of intense scrutiny for the South Florida judiciary.
