Inquiry Concerning a Judge JQC Nos. 2024-452, 2024-506 & 2025-161 Re: Stefanie C. Moon

• Court: Supreme Court of Florida
• Decided: July 17, 2025
• Docket: SC2025-0071
• Status: Published

Opinion

Supreme Court of Florida ____________

No. SC2025-0071 ____________

INQUIRY CONCERNING A JUDGE JQC NOS. 2024-452, 2024-506 & 2025-161 RE: STEFANIE C. MOON.

July 17, 2025

PER CURIAM.

Before the Court is a stipulation to resolve several charges by

the Judicial Qualifications Commission against Judge Stefanie C.

Moon of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit. Judge Moon has

admitted to Code of Judicial Conduct violations involving

inappropriate campaign activity, prohibited ex parte

communication, and prohibited political contributions. The

Commission and Judge Moon agree that she should be suspended

for 10 days without pay, fined $2,115, and publicly reprimanded.

To that end, the parties have filed with our Court a Second

Amended Stipulation and Amended Findings and Recommendations

of Discipline. We accept the second amended stipulation and

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 findings and recommendations).

The second amended stipulation would resolve three

Commission cases pending against Judge Moon. Judge Moon first

admits that, from the bench and while wearing her robe, she asked

an attorney why he had not returned her call about serving on her

re-election committee. The attorney had just completed a hearing

before the judge, and the question left the attorney concerned about

whether his failure to support Judge Moon’s campaign would hurt

his clients. Second, Judge Moon admits that she engaged in ex

parte communication with the mental health therapist of a party in

a divorce case pending before her. Finally, Judge Moon admits that

between 2020 and 2024 she made financial contributions totaling

approximately $2,000 to political organizations and candidates,

including ActBlue and the campaign funds of President Biden and

Vice President Harris.

Judge Moon’s conduct implicates multiple provisions of the

Code of Judicial Conduct. Judges must always act in a manner

that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of

the judiciary. Fla Code Jud. Conduct, Canons 1 & 2A. Except in

-2- limited circumstances, judges may not engage in communication

about a pending or impending proceeding outside the presence of

the parties. Id. Canon 3B(7)(a). And judges may not make financial

contributions to political organizations or candidates. Id. Canon

7A(1)(e). Judge Moon’s acknowledgement that she has violated

these canons is amply supported by the record.

Our Court does not often come upon a judicial discipline case

in which a single judge has violated the Code of Judicial Conduct in

such distinct ways in wholly unrelated incidents. Judge Moon’s

conduct is unacceptable, especially given that the Commission had

already cautioned her in 2019 for improper campaign activities.

Nonetheless, the Commission’s recommended discipline in this

matter credits Judge Moon for cooperation, remorse, and

acceptance of responsibility. While we defer to the Commission’s

assessment of the judge’s contrition, we stress that the Court

cannot tolerate any further misconduct by Judge Moon.

We approve the Second Amended Stipulation and Amended

Findings and Recommendations of Discipline in this matter. Judge

Moon is hereby suspended from her judicial duties for 10 days,

without pay, effective on a date within 30 days of the issuance of

-3- this opinion and as determined by the Chief Judge of the

Seventeenth Judicial Circuit. We order Judge Moon to pay a fine of

$2,115.40, an amount equal to her improper political contributions.

And finally, we order Judge Moon to appear before this Court for

the administration of a public reprimand at a time to be established

by the Clerk of this Court.

It is so ordered.

MUÑIZ, C.J., and CANADY, LABARGA, COURIEL, GROSSHANS, FRANCIS, and SASSO, 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 Stefanie C. Moon, Respondent

-4-