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Hoo'Hing v. State

Citations: 917 So. 2d 1009; 2006 Fla. App. LEXIS 1439Docket: No. 4D05-4663

Court: District Court of Appeal of Florida; January 3, 2006; Florida; State Appellate Court

Narrative Opinion Summary

In 5-H Corp. v. Padovano, the Florida Supreme Court established that reporting perceived judicial unprofessionalism to the Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) does not suffice for judicial disqualification when initiated by the reporting attorney. In the current case, the petition for writ of prohibition is denied, as the defense attorney's public complaints regarding the judge do not exempt this case from the precedent set in 5-H Corp. The court noted that the exceptions to the rule outlined in 5-H Corp. relate to additional judicial conduct beyond mere reporting, which was not present in this instance. Justices STONE, WARNER, and GROSS concurred with the decision.

Legal Issues Addressed

Application of Precedent in Judicial Disqualification

Application: The court denied the petition for writ of prohibition, adhering to the precedent that public complaints by an attorney against a judge do not alone justify disqualification.

Reasoning: In the current case, the petition for writ of prohibition is denied, as the defense attorney's public complaints regarding the judge do not exempt this case from the precedent set in 5-H Corp.

Exceptions to Judicial Disqualification Rules

Application: The court confirmed that exceptions to the rule require additional judicial conduct beyond mere reporting, which was absent in this case.

Reasoning: The court noted that the exceptions to the rule outlined in 5-H Corp. relate to additional judicial conduct beyond mere reporting, which was not present in this instance.

Judicial Disqualification and Reporting to JQC

Application: The court applied the principle that an attorney's report of judicial unprofessionalism to the Judicial Qualifications Commission alone does not warrant judicial disqualification.

Reasoning: In 5-H Corp. v. Padovano, the Florida Supreme Court established that reporting perceived judicial unprofessionalism to the Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) does not suffice for judicial disqualification when initiated by the reporting attorney.