WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A Broward County judge convicted of DUI testified before the Judicial Qualifications Committee at a hearing Thursday in West Palm Beach.
The Florida Supreme Court in April rejected a deal that would have imposed a fine and suspension for Judge Cynthia Imperato.
An investigative panel of the JQC recommended that Imperato be suspended for 20 days without pay, incur a $5,000 fine and undergo an alcohol evaluation. But the state's high court instead called for a full hearing to determine an "appropriate sanction" for the disgraced judge.
Imperato was arrested on a DUI charge in Boca Raton in November 2013. She was found guilty last December and sentenced to 20 days of house arrest and a year of probation. Her driving privileges were also revoked.
The JQC will give its recommendation to the Supreme Court, which will make the final decision.
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