Gov. Ron DeSantis will appoint Anne Marie Genusa to the bench in 2023 and appoint her replacement.
A embattled Florida judge has resigned as he faces possible reprimand from the Florida Supreme Court for alleged abuse of power.
On October 3, Putnam County Judge Ann Marie Genusa submitted her resignation to Governor Ron DeSantis, effective October 31.
Putnam County is part of seven countiesth A circuit in east-central Florida that also includes Volusia, Flagler, and St. Johns counties.
The Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission found that Gennusa may have violated several judicial norms, including compliance with the law. Promote confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary. Be patient, dignified, and act politely. Follow the records and handle matters promptly, efficiently and fairly.
The state board questioned her suitability for court, citing a pattern of abuse of power in which she humiliated several people, including handcuffing a female victim in one case and jailing an already traumatized mother of a child in another case, according to a formal notice of complaint.
DeSantis appointed Jennusa to the Putnam County Judiciary in 2023, according to Circuit 7’s website. She presides over misdemeanor criminal cases and criminal traffic cases at the Putnam County Courthouse in Palatka.
DeSantis will appoint her replacement through the judicial nomination process.
“It is an honor to serve as a judge in Putnam County, and I appreciate the trust you have placed in me by appointing me to this seat,” Gennusa wrote.
In his resignation letter, Gennusa wrote that he was “proud” that Putnam County residents voted to retain his seat last year. But she wrote that she was leaving the position to pursue her real interests.
“Over the past two and a half years, I have discovered that my true professional love is the work of an attorney. I enjoyed running a law firm and litigating cases just as I did for the past 27 years before going to court. I miss helping people navigate the complexities of the legal system, being there during difficult times, and providing pro bono representation to those in need,” Genusa wrote.
She wrote that she would return to private practice and establish a family, property and mediation law group with offices in Palatka and St. Augustine.
“This decision was not an easy one, but it was the right one for me and my family. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity you have given me,” Jennusa wrote in the letter.
Panel cites Gennusa’s pattern of abuse of privilege
The Judicial Qualifications Commission said several cases showed a pattern of “abuse of contempt power” by Gennusa.
“His unwillingness or inability to conduct himself with the dignity, courtesy, and patience required by the Code, and his casual and unlawful use of the right of contempt in direct violation of clearly established procedures and laws, raises serious questions about his fitness to serve as a judicial officer,” according to a Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission document signed by Assistant Attorney General Hugh R. Brown.
Ms. Gennusa responded through her lawyer, acknowledging that she would have done things differently and citing inexperience on the bench on some issues. She said the committee did not formally pursue a man with contempt in one of the cases cited. She said she ordered the alleged victim in the incident to be detained to calm her down. He also said the two were not handcuffed the entire time they were detained. And it took less than three hours.
She said she has learned “a lot” and tried to improve at the Judicial College since the incident.
