Tallahassee, FL—Lately, many government workers that have been caught violating the United States Constitution and Florida’s Sunshine Laws, have been forced into early retirement versus being disciplined or prosecuted for their actions. This kind of discipline is not surprising considering that Governor Rick Scott was not convicted after what many media sources reported Rick Scott of having stolen millions of dollars from the government funded Medicaid Program, before becoming the governor of Florida.
Within a year or so following Rick Scott’s taking office as Florida’s Governor in January 2011, Governor Scott violated at least one of Florida’s Sunshine laws. And over the three or four years, Governor Scott has fought one legal or unethical issue after another—with Governor Scott losing the vast majority of them all. In 2014, Governor Scott won re-election, but as we all know money floods our democracy and many voters face stumbling blocks when it comes to exercising their right to vote. None the less, Governor Scott appointed members the Commission. According to FloridaSupremeCourt.org, the Judicial Qualifications Commission is an independent agency created by the Florida Constitution solely to investigate the alleged misconduct of Florida state judges. According to Floridabar.org, the Judicial Qualifications Commission is vested with the authority to investigate allegations of misconduct or incapacity of State judges, and to recommend removal or discipline to the Supreme Court where justified. The Commission is comprised of six judges, five lay people and four Florida Bar members.
In October 2013, during a court hearing in the Leon County Courthouse, Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford appointed a conflict attorney to represent an inmate. For more than six months, the inmate had been under the representation of Nancy Daniels, the Lead Public Defender. Within an hour following Nancy Daniel’s filing of a Motion to Withdraw from the inmate’s case, a conflict attorney was assigned to the inmate’s case. A conflict attorney is a private attorney that is registered with the county’s chief judge to be assigned to represent inmate’s who cannot financially afford an attorney (Indigent). However, some of these private attorneys register with county’s chief judge specifying which types of cases that they are able to accept. The particular attorney in that Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford appointed was specifically ordered to her to appoint during the hearing by State Prosecutor Jack Campbell with Public Defender Nancy Daniels standing by State Prosecutor Jack Campbell’s side in agreement. Absent at the time of State Prosecutor Jack Campbell ordering Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford to appoint the conflict attorney was the attorney himself. However, the attorneys absence did not stop State Prosecutor Jack Campbell and Public Defender Nancy Daniel’s from discussing in open court how they have in the pass ordered and manipulated pay codes in order for the State of Florida to get certain conflict attorneys paid for representing indigent inmates who they are not registered to represent. In spite of Circut Judge Jackie Fulford acknowledging that she, herself could not “just pick” a conflict attorney, that the “clerk is supposed to assign an attorney,” Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford decided that she would appoint the conflict attorney. State Prosecutor Jack Campbell explained to Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford that he, himself, had spent the weekend speaking with the attorney. When Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford decided to appoint the attorney, during court proceedings, State Prosecutor Jack Campbell pulled out his cell phone, called the attorney and told him to come to the courtroom.
Upon the conflict attorney’s arrival, the conflict attorney, who appeared very uncomfortable, informed Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford that he was only allowed to represent Indigent inmates on Capital cases (this was not a Capital case). Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford reassured the attorney that he would get paid. The conflict attorney then informed Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford that he would be in California and not directly be available to his client for the trial in that his client was State Prosecutor Jack Campbell’s key witness. After State Prosecutor Jack Campbell stated that his inmate key witness would not need to consult with his conflict attorney during the trial, Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford appointed the conflict attorney. The Judicial Qualifications Commission refused to investigate Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford for these violations.
In the Judicial Qualifications Commissions investigations, the Commission has stated that Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford showed a “Pattern of Misconduct.” The three cases in that supported Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford’s “Pattern of Misconduct,” occurred before and after State Prosecutor Jack Campbell ordered her (Fulford) to appoint his choice (Campbell’s choice) of conflict attorney. State Prosecutor Jack Campbell ordering Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford and other judges to appoint his choice of conflict attorneys regardless of their registered status is not only unfair to the defendants, but it is also unfair to other private attorneys that are registered with the chief judge for cases in that they are not being appointed due to State Prosecutor Jack Campbell (and possibly others within State Attorney Willie Meggs’ Office) ordering judges to abide by their choice of conflict attorneys.
In another case that State Attorney Jack Campbell is prosecuting, Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford was the presiding judge. This particular case is a Death Penalty case. There’s no telling how many of the defendant’s U.S. Constitutional Rights were violated, or what all State Prosecutor Jack Campbell ordered judges—including Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford to do to give leverage over the defense.
Clearly, “favoritism” to State Prosecutor Jack Campbell, is more like, racketeering, robbery, honest services fraud and a slew of other crimes having been committed. These criminal acts in no form or fashion should force Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford into early retirement.
In 2009, while Jackie Fulord was serving as one of Second Judicial Circuit State Attorney Willie Meggs’ Assistant State Attorneys, Jackie Fulford was appointed to the bench as a Second Circuit Judge– after another female Second Circuit Judge retired. According to the Judicial Qualifications Commission’s investigation, Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford’s first alleged act of misconduct dates back to 2012. Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford has presided over many criminal cases since.
As many states around the country moves forward to reform their Criminal Justice System—including the Death Penalty, forcing government employees into early retirement for their criminal acts or violation of state policies, does not help those who are working diligently to make the state of Florida a better place to live and/or visit and bring or relocate their businesses. True or False: After graduating from law school, many lawyers usually have to pay off a large amount of student load debt? Why would anyone want to be a law abiding attorney in Florida knowing that State Prosecutors are ordering State and Circuit Judges what to do? No attorney can competently represent their clients in such a bias judicial system.
Think about it—Just a few months ago, Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford was sitting on the bench presiding over a case—that if found guilty—Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford would have been a part of the decision that would’ve determined whether the defendant would’ve been sentenced to Life or to Florida’s Death Row to await his demise. And while neither the defendant nor the members of the jury would’ve had any knowledge about Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford’s previous allegations of misconduct (that have now proven to be worthy of investigating) those within the Judicial Qualifications Commission and other legal sources had knowledge.
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Mothers Against Unethical Laws (MAUL) 