Opinion ID: 1780406
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Counts 1, 2 and 3

Text: The basis of these charges is founded upon various statements made in one of Judge Renke's campaign brochures, and all involve violations of Canon 7 A(3)(a) and Canon 7 A(3)(d)(iii). The Code of Judicial Conduct was recently amended by this Court, effective January 2006; while the text of the particular Canon subsection has not changed, Canon 7(A)(3)(d)(iii) is now Canon 7(A)(3)(d)(ii). It reads, as it did at the time that Judge Renke was charged, that a candidate for judicial office shall not knowingly misrepresent the identity, qualifications, present position or other fact concerning the candidate or an opponent. [1] The record reflects that Judge Renke arranged for the Mallard Group, a political campaign company headed by John Herbert, to do all of the direct mail campaign work; however, the judge reviewed and approved all of the campaign materials designed by Herbert. Regarding the first charge, the JQC concluded that the phrase a judge with our values, written in large yellow print, surrounding a photo of the Renke family, and coupled with other text from the brochure stating that Renke had real judicial experience as a hearing officer and in hearing appeals from administrative law judges, knowingly and purposefully created the impression that Judge Renke was running as an incumbent judge when he was not. Count 2 concerned a picture, prominently displayed in the same brochure, of Judge Renke sitting just beneath a large banner stating Southwest Florida Water Management District in front of a nameplate reading, John K. Renke Chair. The JQC concluded that this was a deliberate attempt to convey to the public that he was the chairman of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), a public body of considerable importance and responsibility in the area, when actually he was only chair of the Coastal River Basin Board. In fact, the parties agree no such position as chairman of the SWFWMD even exists. Finally, with regards to the third charge, the JQC concluded that a picture of Judge Renke, surrounded by firefighters with the caption Supported by our area's bravest: John with Kevin Bowler and the Clearwater firefighters, was an attempt to wrongfully convince the public that he had the official support of the Clearwater firefighters. The panel found that the use of the photograph with the accompanying caption was an intentional misrepresentation of Judge Renke's campaign endorsements. We conclude that the JQC's findings that these three charges have been established by clear and convincing evidence are supported by the evidence received at the hearing. In In re Kinsey, 842 So.2d 77 (Fla.2003), this Court concluded that a voter should not be required to read the fine print in an election campaign flyer to correct a misrepresentation contained in large, bold letters. Id. at 90. This admonition has special meaning to the misconduct established here. As to the first charge, Judge Renke himself testified that the statement, a judge with our values, could be misleading to the voting public. As to count 2, Judge Renke admitted that the photograph was also inaccurate. While he points to other text in the same pamphlet indicating that Judge Renke was only awarded an appointment by the Governor to the Governing Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, In re Kinsey provides that smaller or other text elsewhere in a brochure does not serve to rectify bold misstatements made in the same document. 842 So.2d at 90. In reference to the third charge, again, Judge Renke testified at his hearing that he did not have the support of the Clearwater firefighters union or any actual Clearwater firefighters group or organization. While Judge Renke stated that he did have the support of the particular firefighters posing with him in the campaign brochure photograph, he conceded that he was aware that the firefighters were represented by a union and that he had never asked for their endorsement. The record provides abundant evidentiary support for the JQC's findings and its conclusion that there was a clear pattern of intentional misrepresentation with regard to the three charges concerning this particular brochure, specifically that Judge Renke was attempting to convey to the voters that he was running as an incumbent judge, was the chair of the SWFWMD, and finally that he was endorsed by the local firefighters. These findings establish clear violations of the judicial canon's prohibition on knowing misrepresentations of a candidate's experience and qualifications for judicial office. Accordingly, we uphold the JQC's findings of guilt on counts 1, 2 and 3.