MEDIA ARTICLE: Broward judge hit with 10-day suspension, fine for multiple counts of misconduct (Sun Sentinel 7-17-25)

 Broward judge hit with 10-day suspension, fine for multiple counts of misconduct

Broward Judge Stefanie Moon, who admitted to several conduct violations, was ordered to serve a 10-day suspension and pay a $2,115 fine by the Florida Supreme Court.

By Rafael Olmeda | rolmeda@sunsentinel.com | South Florida Sun Sentinel

PUBLISHED: July 17, 2025 at 5:07 PM EDT | UPDATED: July 17, 2025 at 6:20 PM EDT

A Broward judge who admitted to several conduct violations was ordered to serve a 10-day suspension and pay a $2,115 fine Thursday by the Florida Supreme Court.

Judge Stefanie Moon’s troubles began in February 2024 when she was in the middle of her first re-election campaign. Moon, wearing her robe and sitting behind the bench, asked a lawyer why he had not returned her recent phone call. While she did not mention it from the bench, that phone call was asking the lawyer to serve on her campaign.

The lawyer, a supporter of Moon’s opponent, said at the time he felt pressured by being questioned about the campaign from the bench. Moon later admitted to the Judicial Qualifications Commission that her conduct was inappropriate.

Moon admitted to two other acts of misconduct — communicating with the mental health therapist of someone in the middle of a restraining order for stalking case in front of her, and making $2,000 in contributions to Democratic candidates and causes, including former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Judges are barred from making partisan contributions, communicating directly with people appearing in litigation before them, and electioneering from the bench.

“Judges must always act in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary,” the justices wrote in their announcement concerning Moon’s penalty. Moon did not contest the charges, and in April the Supreme Court rejected an earlier agreement between her and the Judicial Qualifications Commission that subjected her to a public reprimand but no suspension.

“Judge Moon is looking forward to getting this situation behind her so that she can go back to doing the job she was elected to do,”  her attorney, Scott Tozian, said Thursday.

Moon had already been chastised by the court for campaign-related activity in 2019, and justices warned their patience with her is wearing thin.

Teachers describe immigration enforcement’s impact on classrooms in challenge of Trump policy

“While we defer to the commission’s assessment of the judge’s contrition, we stress that the court cannot tolerate any further misconduct by Judge Moon,” the ruling said.

Moon is one of four Broward judges facing discipline this year for misconduct allegations.

Another judge investigated

A fifth, Kristin Kanner, appears to be the subject of a criminal investigation, though details were not available late Thursday. The courthouse news and gossip site JAABlog posted Thursday that the governor assigned the case to another jurisdiction to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest with the Broward State Attorney’s Office, Kanner’s former employer.

“We do not know at this time what the allegations are or who is making them,” said Broward Chief Administrative Judge Carol-Lisa Phillips.

The case will be handled by the State Attorney’s Office for the 20th judicial circuit, which covers five counties in Southwest Florida.

Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457. Follow him on Threads.net/@rafael.olmeda.