Despite the judge’s conduct, the Court decided not to remove her from the bench.
“I am heartened that cancel culture did not prevail here,” said Professor Fingerhut.
“We all live lives of imperfection. But too often, too easily, and more and more recently, we allow ourselves to be defined by us at our worst. That did not happen here,” he continued.
“This seems to be an experienced judge, with a life’s worth of good deeds and public service, who made some obvious – if not understandable – mistakes, poor choices she surely understands and who is being given the chance to rise anew.”
“She deserves this chance. Indeed, she will probably be an even better judge for the journey.”
Judge Hobbs will receive her public reprimand on August 31, 2022.
Read the Court’s disciplinary order here.
Read Professor Fingerhut’s comments here.
Professor Fingerhut is Assistant Director of the Trial Advocacy Program at FIU Law. He teaches Trial Advocacy, Pretrial Practice, and Criminal Procedure. He is dually appointed as a Fellow in The Honors College at FIU, where serves as pre-law advisor and teaches the upper-division seminar Observing Ourselves.
Reach him at 305-348-8095 and fingerhut@fiu.edu.
To find out more about Trial Advocacy at FIU Law, visit law.fiu.edu/trialad.