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Judge must defend himself on April 8

John Renke III must sway an ethics panel that he should not be suspended while fighting charges that possibly could remove him from the bench.

By COLLEEN JENKINS
Published February 25, 2005

Pasco-Pinellas Circuit Judge John Renke III must make a case for why he should not be suspended without pay until the ethics charges against him are resolved, the state's Judicial Qualifications Commission instructed Thursday.

The order comes on the heels of new allegations aired last week by the panel, including a charge that Renke characterized $95,800 in campaign money as a personal loan when the money actually came from his father. The new charges brought the total to 10 campaign violations pending against the judge.

Now, the JQC will require him to appear before it April 8 in Orlando, essentially to fight for his job in the short-term. And fight he will, said Renke's lawyer, Scott Tozian.

"I will vigorously contest that," said Tozian, who learned about the latest development Thursday afternoon from reporters.

Renke, 35, was elected to a six-year term in 2002. The next year, the JQC accused him of misrepresenting his qualifications and endorsements during the campaign. The Florida Supreme Court rejected last summer a proposed punishment for those charges: a monthlong suspension, a $20,000 fine and a public reprimand.

Then, Feb 18, , the JQC issued amended charges. One new charge alleged an illegal campaign contribution from John Renke II or his law firm, money which made up 91 percent of the younger Renke's campaign spending. The contribution far exceeded the $500 per person limit set by campaign finance laws.

The investigative panel also argued that Renke III's "cumulative misconduct" constituted a "pattern and practice unbecoming a candidate for and lacking the dignity appropriate to judicial office."

Renke III won't comment on the matter. His father, a Republican state committeeman and a former state representative, argued last week that the money was compensation for work Renke III performed as a lawyer in his father's firm.

In 2001, Renke III's legal salary was $53,402. But Renke II said the New Port Richey firm subsequently received large payments for several successful class action suits.

Records from the state Commission on Ethics appear to back the senior Renke's claim. As a public official, Renke III must disclose his financial interests annually. His 2002 report indicates he made $166,736 that year.

According to Tozian, the JQC can't back its charges.

"There's absolutely no proof of what they're alleging," said Tozian, who plans to file a response to the latest charges by Monday. "It wasn't like a job that was dummied up or created so that he could pay his son to run for judge. He paid him for his work.

"I hope the JQC can't dictate to lawyers what they can pay lawyers that work for them. They have no idea how hard John Renke III worked for John Renke II. None whatsoever."

But if the charges stick, the repercussions could be as severe as getting permanently removed from the bench.

In 2002, a Miami-Dade Circuit judge received four months' suspension without pay, a $40,000 fine and a public reprimand for accepting a $200,000 personal loan from her boyfriend for her campaign, and then saying the money came from her brother. Both actions violated judicial canons.

The April 8 hearing will be at 9:30 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport Hotel. After the hearing, the JQC will decide whether to recommend the Supreme Court suspend Renke at least temporarily.

There is no timetable for how quickly the state's highest court might then make its decision, said JQC executive director Brooke Kennerly. After the JQC recommended the initial settlement last year, the Supreme Court took about two months to reject the proposal.

Colleen Jenkins covers courts in west Pasco County. She can be reached at 727 869-6236, or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6236. Her e-mail is cjenkins@sptimes.com

[Last modified February 25, 2005, 00:52:18]