Frm Judge Asks For 45-Day Suspension For Anonymous “Menacing” Blog Posts.
BY BUDDY NEVINS
A former Broward judge could be suspended from practicing law after admitting he wrote anonymous menacing comments on a blog about another judge and his family.
Jay Spechler, who was a county judge for many years and now is a private attorney, has agreed to a 45-day suspension to settle complaints about the offensive posts on JAABlog, the courthouse blog.
JAABlog was first to publish the agreement here.
The Supreme Court will have to approve the agreement, which was the result of a Florida Bar investigation into Spechler.
In the document on file with the Supreme Court, Spechler and The Bar agree that:
- Spechler posted “highly offensive anonymous” comments about Judge Michael Lynch.
- Post about Michael Lynch also “contained language that could be viewed as menacing”
- The posts’ language was so threatening that Judge Lynch contacted the police.
- The posts stemmed from a falling out between Spechler and the Lynch families. Previously the two families were “closely entwined in a positive relationship.”
- Spechler admitted his violation of Bar rules of legal conduct and agreed to be suspended.
- Spechler also agreed to pay $1,250 in costs for the investigation.
- The former judge’s Bar license could be placed on probation for up to three years if an evaluation indicates he needs treatment by the Florida Lawyers Assistance organization.
- Spechler said he was “deeply sorry for his actions” and that he “should have behaved more honorably.”
- The posts have stopped as of June, 2018.
Spechler has long been viewed as a political player in the courthouse and in Broward County.
His attorney on this case is David Di Pietro, once a major player in Republican state politics and fund raising. A news release on Di Pietro’s law firm website states that Spechler is a “partner” with Di Pietro and another former judge Gary Cowart in a case involving a mass shooting at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport in 2017.
Di Pietro is chairman of Young At Art’s board of director, the Davie museum founded by Spechler’s wife Mindy Shrago.
Spechler was involved in a controversy earlier this month for allegedly conspiring with Hollywood Commissioner Caryl Shuham to block construction of a dock by a neighbor, according to WSVN Channel 7. The television report is linked here.
January 31st, 2020 at 1:12 pm
How low can the politics in Broward get? The whole espisode is depressing