Palm Beach County Judge Disqualifies Himself from FHP Cases
Our South Florida traffic attorneys have been following a story about former longtime federal prosecutor and current Palm Beach County Circuit Judge John Kastrenakes. As a judge Kastrenakes is relatively new but he’s already considered a local hero against corruption.
Kastrenakes was involved in an altercation with the Florida Highway Patrol on September 18 when he was ticketed for driving the wrong way in a travel plaza parking lot. He allegedly told the trooper she was a liar and that her ticket would influence his opinion of troopers in court.
The highway patrol waited five months to report the incident, but the state attorney’s office filed a motion last month to disqualify him from hearing a felony case against a man who was arrested by the highway patrol. Stating that “the public must have the perception of judicial fairness,” Kastrenakes granted the motion for disqualification.
In our opinion, Kastrenakes probably should not have lashed out at the trooper, but he’s human and we all have occasional lapses in judgment. In a way, it is good that a member of the Judiciary sees how an encounter with law enforcement is not always polite and professional.
Source: Judge Kastrenakes recuses himself from 7 FHP cases over traffic stop, Palm Beach Post, March 11, 2010
Contact a Palm Beach County attorney if you have arrested and charged with a crime.
