PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – A Broward County judge was publicly reprimanded Wednesday by the Florida Supreme Court for playing the partisanship card during his judicial race.
Judge Ernest Kollra Jr. agreed to the public reprimand in April after acknowledging two violations of the Florida Code of Judicial Conduct.
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"The misconduct has damaged the public's trust and confidence in you, as an individual judge, as well as the public's trust and confidence in our state court system," Chief Judge Charles Canady told Kollra.
Kollra committed the ethics violation in May 2018, when he revealed to the South Florida SunSentinel editorial board that he was a registered Republican.
A month later, while attending a judicial candidate forum, Kollra inappropriately announced he had received the endorsement of the Dolphin Democrats, a partisan political group.
Florida's judicial races are nonpartisan.
"Judge Kollra, the fact that your misconduct went to both sides of the political aisle does not make it any less a violation of Canon 7," Canady said.
The Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission filed formal charges in February.
Kollra did not speak during the public reprimand. After the reprimand, he nodded his head and left the courtroom.