Inquiry Concerning a Judge JQC No. 2025-001 Re: Woody Robert Clermont

• Court: Supreme Court of Florida
• Decided: March 12, 2026
• Docket: SC2025-1319
• Status: Published

Opinion

Supreme Court of Florida ____________

No. SC2025-1319 ____________

INQUIRY CONCERNING A JUDGE JQC NO. 2025-001 RE: WOODY ROBERT CLERMONT.

March 12, 2026

PER CURIAM.

Before the Court are the Judicial Qualifications Commission’s

Findings and Recommendations of Discipline and an accompanying

joint stipulation to resolve charges against Broward County Judge

Woody Clermont. As explained below, the Court accepts the

findings and will impose the recommended discipline. See art. V,

§ 12(c)(1), Fla. Const. (authorizing the Court to accept, reject, or

modify the Commission’s recommendations and to order

appropriate discipline).

Judge Clermont admits that, on April 11, 2025, he

represented a friend at a first appearance proceeding in Broward

County after the friend’s arrest for domestic violence. Judge

Clermont negotiated with the assistant state attorney prosecuting the case, presented argument to the court in favor of a proposed

bond, and offered unsubpoenaed character testimony on behalf of

the friend. The presiding judge and the assistant state attorney

knew of Clermont’s judicial status, but the Commission found no

evidence that it affected the other officials’ handling of the case.

The Commission concluded, and Judge Clermont agrees, that

Clermont’s actions violated Canons 1, 2A, 2B, and 5G of the Code of

Judicial Conduct. Those canons require judges to uphold the

integrity of the judiciary and to avoid the appearance of impropriety,

and they prohibit judges from using their office to advance the

private interests of another, from voluntarily testifying as a

character witness, and from practicing law. We agree that Judge

Clermont’s factual admissions amply support the Commission’s

legal conclusions.

The Commission and Judge Clermont have asked this Court to

impose a public reprimand as discipline. The Commission notes

that Judge Clermont has no prior disciplinary history and that he

has been remorseful and cooperative throughout these proceedings.

We accept the Commission’s recommendation. Therefore, we order

Judge Clermont to appear before this Court for the administration

-2- of a public reprimand at a time to be established by the Clerk of

this Court.

It is so ordered.

MUÑIZ, C.J., and LABARGA, COURIEL, GROSSHANS, FRANCIS, SASSO, and TANENBAUM, JJ., concur.

NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING MOTION AND, IF FILED, DETERMINED.

Original Proceeding – Judicial Qualifications Commission

Gregory W. Coleman, Chair, and Hugh R. Brown, Assistant General Counsel, Tallahassee, Florida,

for Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission, Petitioner

Scott K. Tozian, Tampa, Florida,

for Judge Woody Clermont, Respondent

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