|
MIAMI---Miami-Dade County Judge Ana Marie Pando told the Florida Supreme Court that no certain date was given her for the payment of a $25,000 fine assessed against her by the court for improper campaign contributions and improper certification of campaign finance reports.
However, the order issued by the Court on Sept. 27 clearly states that pursuant to the Court's opinion of May 12, Pando was directed to pay the $25,000 fine to the Court within 30 says of the date of the order or on Oct. 27. http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/pub_info/summaries/briefs/04/04-1636/Filed_09-27-2005_OrderOnFine.pdf
On Nov. 9, Supreme Court clerk Thomas Hall indicated that Pando had not paid the fine and she was ordered to show cause by Nov. 21 why she should not be held in contempt of court.
Pando filed her response with the Court Wednesday, along with her $25,000 payment, saying that she was "unaware of the issuance of a written order subsequent to the orally pronounced reprimand mandating that I pay the fine by Oct. 27".
She said that a colleague told her Tuesday evening that an article had been published in a Florida newspaper stating that an order to show cause had been issued against her for non-payment of the fine. Pando said her judicial assistant, Betty Delfino, called the clerk's office in Tallahassee "first thing on Wednesday….Needless to say, this information came as a complete surprise to my assistant, as well, who handles all of my office matters".
Pando said that she had been in the process of refinancing her home since the date of the public reprimand to "expeditiously comply" with the court's directive. She said the financing was delayed because of obstacles related to Hurricane Wilma.
The Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission filed charges against the judge in April, 2004 alleging that during the course of her unsuccessful 1998 election campaign and successful 2000 judicial election campaign that she accepted loans from family members in excess of the $500 statutory limit.
The commission charged that Pando knowingly accepted a $25,000 personal loan from her mother made for the purpose of influencing the results of the election and in excess of the $500 limit.
In May, Judge Pando admitted the conduct and impropriety of the conduct and the commission recommended a public reprimand of the judge as well as a $25,000 fine. 11-18-05
© 2005 North
Country Gazette
|
