Woody Clermont Reprimanded

Broward County Judge Woody Clermont attended a friend's first-appearance hearing on April 11, 2025, after the friend's arrest for domestic violence — and, rather than remaining a spectator, negotiated directly with the prosecutor, argued to the court in favor of a proposed bond, and offered unsubpoenaed character testimony on his friend's behalf. The Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission found Clermont had effectively acted as his friend's attorney while still holding judicial office, lending the prestige of that office to advance a private interest and creating an appearance of impropriety.

The Florida Supreme Court accepted a joint stipulation between Clermont and the Commission and issued a public reprimand. In choosing that sanction over something harsher, the justices cited Clermont's lack of any prior disciplinary record and his "remorseful and cooperative" conduct throughout the investigation.