A foul-mouthed Florida judge faces suspension after losing his cool and cursing at an unruly defendant.
Wayne Culver is a Seminole County judge who worked as a public defender for 11 years before becoming a judge in his county in early 2021.
Just over a year later, however, Culver is facing a 60-day suspension without pay after lashing out at a defendant and calling him an a**hole.
The courtroom incident took place on February 10, 2022, when the Florida judge threatened a defendant, 50-year-old Kevin Newton, with jail time after the latter walked into the room while the judge was busy.
“Everything is taken,” Newton muttered as he stepped into the courtroom. Infuriated by the disturbance, Culver responded saying: “Sir, I’m doing something. Can you shut up and sit down?”
“Absolutely. I’m just trying to find a seat,” Newton replied.
“That’s not shutting up,” the judge added.
As the man was walking through the pews looking for a spot to sit down, Culver angrily asked: “Do you want to be held in contempt and go to jail?”
Seemingly obeying the judge’s order to shut up, Newton failed to respond, further angering Culver who burst out yelling: “I asked you a f**king question, a**hole!”
After Newton said he didn’t want to go to jail, the judge once again told him to shut up.
Later on, Newton’s case was presented to Culver and the judge told him to come on time for the next court date.
Realizing he made a mistake by lashing out at the defendant, the judge eventually apologized saying it was his first time to lose his temper.
In a Judicial Qualifications Commissions meeting, the judge also admitted his “undignified and discourteous” actions did not belong in the courtroom.
Following the incident, Newton’s sister, Sabrina, spoke to Fox 35 Orlando and told the paper that her brother was struggling to find a seat because of the blue tape that was spread across the pews as part of Covid-19 social distancing measures.
“This judge let his personal feelings take over. I was scared to react in any kind of way because I didn’t want to go to jail!” she said.
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