Title: Inquiry Concerning Hapner
Citation: 718 So. 2d 785
Docket Number: 91325
State: Florida
Issuer: Florida Supreme Court
Date: September 29, 1998

718 So. 2d 785 (1998)
INQUIRY CONCERNING a Judge, No. 97-04 re Elizabeth L. HAPNER.
No. 91325.

Supreme Court of Florida.
September 29, 1998.
*786 Thomas C. MacDonald, Jr., General Counsel and John R. Beranek, Counsel to the Hearing Panel, Tallahassee, and Joseph H. Varner, Special Counsel, of Curtis, Alexander &amp; Varner, Winter Haven, for Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission, Petitioner.
Donald A. Smith, Jr. of Smith &amp; Tozian, Tampa, for Respondent.
PER CURIAM.
We have for review a report of the Hearing Panel of the Judicial Qualifications Commission recommending that Judge Elizabeth Hapner be removed from office. We have jurisdiction. Art. V, § 12, Fla. Const. We approve the report.
The facts governing this proceeding of the Judicial Qualifications Commission ("JQC") are summarized in the report of the JQC's Hearing Panel:
Based on the evidence adduced in the proceeding before the Hearing Panel, the Panel reached the following conclusions of law:
Pursuant to the above conclusions of law, the Panel recommended that Judge Hapner be removed from office:
In addition to submitting its report to this Court, the Hearing Panel filed a motion to temporarily suspend Judge Hapner pending this Court's final decision in this matter. We received written argument from both the JQC and Hapner on the suspension issue and on April 9, 1998, entered an order temporarily suspending Hapner. Judge Hapner has since resigned from her position as judge and claims that this action deprives the Court of jurisdiction to proceed. We disagree.
Article V, section 12, Florida Constitution, provides in relevant part:
This provision vests the JQC and this Court with jurisdiction to proceed in a judicial disciplinary proceeding that is initiated within one year after a judge leaves office. In the present case, the JQC's notice of formal charges was filed during Judge Hapner's term of office as county judge. Accordingly, the JQC and this Court have jurisdiction to proceed.
Judge Hapner further contends that the present proceeding should be dismissed for two reasons. First, she claims that the hearing below was flawed because she was given insufficient notice that certain witnesses would be called by the JQC in rebuttal. We disagree. The record shows that Hapner did not timely object to the witnesses on notice grounds, and that the JQC provided notice of the witnesses to Hapner as soon as the JQC learned of their existence. We find no impropriety. Second, Hapner claims that the Hearing Panel erred in finding a lack of veracity on her part and a violation of Bar rules. Again, we disagree. The Hearing Panel's findings are exhaustive and contain detailed record cites. Hapner's response, on the other hand, contains no record cites that are inconsistent with the Panel's findings. We find no error. See generally In re Davey, 645 So. 2d 398 (Fla. 1994).
Based on the foregoing, we conclude that the Hearing Panel's report is supported by clear and convincing evidence in the record, and we approve the findings, conclusions, and recommendation contained in the report. We order that Elizabeth L. Hapner be removed from office as county judge effective upon the date of her resignation. We direct that she pay the costs of these proceedings, and we remand this cause to the JQC for a determination of the amount of such costs.[1]
It is so ordered.
HARDING, C.J., OVERTON, SHAW, WELLS, ANSTEAD and PARIENTE, JJ., concur.
KOGAN, J., concurs in result only.
[1]  See Art. V. § 12(c)(2), Fla. Const. ("The supreme court may award costs to the prevailing party.").