Panel calls for removal of Broward Judge

by News Service Florida

Saying the case is about "greed," a panel of the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission has recommended the removal of a Broward County circuit judge because of allegations of improper conduct before she was elected to the bench. The recommendation involving Circuit Judge Laura Watson, who was elected in November 2012, was issued Tuesday and will be considered by the Florida Supreme Court. A hearing panel of the Judicial Qualifications Commission focused on Watson's handling of a case, while she was a private attorney, that dealt with personal-injury protection insurance claims and allegations of "bad faith" against Progressive Insurance Co. The investigation centered on a settlement agreement and legal fees that the panel said stood to benefit Watson, who represented health-care providers. "At its core, this case is about greed. … Temptation overrode Judge Watson's ethics, despite advance warning,'' the panel's recommendation said. "She sold out her clients, her co-counsel, and ultimately herself. This conduct is 'fundamentally inconsistent with the responsibilities of judicial office,' and mandates removal." Watson has disputed that she did anything wrong, according to the hearing panel. Also, she offered what the panel described as "unimpeachable" character witnesses, including Fort Lauderdale Mayor and former state Rep. Jack Seiler, who has known the judge since high school.