WAKULLA Co., FL (WTXL) - Wakulla County Second Judicial Circuit Judge, Jackie Fulford, is facing charges of judicial misconduct. She is accused of having a close personal friendship with former Wakulla Sheriff David Harvey in addition to several other improprieties while serving on the bench.
A formal notice of the charges was filed in the Florida Supreme Court by the Judicial Qualifications Commission on Monday. The commission says Fulford has shown "a pattern of misconduct" that raise serious questions regarding her ability to perform her duties.
According to the notice of formal charges, Fulford told court employees they could not work for her if they voted for Charlie Creel after a bailiff made a comment about not supporting Sheriff Harvey. The notice says that days later, the bailiff was fired from his position at the Courthouse at the request of Harvey. Harvey served at Sheriff of Wakulla County for 35 years before retiring in 2011.
Documents claim that the Judge also had a life sized cut-out of Harvey in her office for several months, "The cutout was visible to anyone who entered [Fulford's] chambers, and at times, visible to people seated in the courtroom."
The notice even points to a case where Fulford allegedly used her influence to get domestic battery charges dropped against the son of her significant other.
Fulford has 20 days as of April 27, 2015 to respond to the allegations.
