Miami-Dade Judge Caroll Kelly. Photo: Miami-Dade Circuit Court.When Miami-Dade County Court Judge Carroll Kelly welcomed television producers into her courtroom to film a reality show, it didn’t make a good impression on the Judicial Qualifications Commission, which has accused her of giving participants “minimal notice” and misleading her superiors about the filming.
The show, “Protection Court,” featured real-life litigants from the court’s domestic violence division. But in ethics charges filed Wednesday, the JQC alleged Kelly’s participation amounted to six violations of the rules governing judicial ethics.
“In doing so, you lent the prestige of your judicial office to advance the private interests of yourself and others,” the charges said.
The JQC alleges Kelly didn’t give litigants enough time to consider signing an appearance release, and claims some litigants were filmed without their consent.
The release required litigants to waive any liabilities, claims or demands against the producers over anything revealed in the show, including defamatory, disparaging or embarrassing information, according to the charging document.
The JQC also alleges Kelly misled Miami-Dade Circuit Chief Judge Bertila Soto about her involvement in the show to obtain consent, claiming she had secured assurances that there would be no violations of the Code of Judicial Conduct. The judge is also accused of lying to an investigative panel about having the power to stop the show’s production.
“Specifically, you informed the investigative panel that you had ‘final approval of anything’ and ‘editorial influence and control’ over Protection Court,” the JQC’s charging document said.
Kelly’s attorney, David Rothman of Rothman & Associates in Miami , did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Kelly has 20 days to respond to the charges.
Kelly was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1989. She rose to the county court bench in 1998 and has no disciplinary history, according to her Florida Bar profile.
Read the full charges:
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