Anne Marie Gennusa Removed

Putnam County Judge Anne Marie Gennusa repeatedly misused her authority to hold people in contempt of court, according to a Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission finding of probable cause covering multiple separate cases — not a single incident. In one case, Gennusa had a female crime victim handcuffed in her own courtroom. In another, she jailed a mother of children who had already been through trauma. A separate case involved a truancy hearing where the Commission found she'd similarly overstepped her authority. The JQC's probable-cause finding cited violations of multiple judicial canons: complying with the law, promoting confidence in the judiciary's integrity and impartiality, acting in a patient and dignified manner, and disposing of matters promptly and fairly. The Commission specifically characterized the conduct as "a pattern" of abusing her contempt authority, not an isolated case. Gennusa, appointed to the bench by Governor DeSantis in 2023, resigned effective October 31, 2025 — submitting her resignation before the JQC could issue a formal ruling on the charges against her.