An embattled 7th Circuit Putnam County judge facing possible discipline from the Florida Supreme Court for allegations she abused her authority has resigned her seat.
On Oct. 3, Putnam County Judge Anne Marie Gennusa submitted her resignation, effective Oct. 31, to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Putnam County is part of the 7th Circuit which also includes Volusia, Flagler and St. Johns counties.
The Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission found probable cause that Gennusa violated several judicial canons, including complying with the law; promoting confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary; acting in a patient, dignified and courteous manner; and disposing of matters promptly, efficiently and fairly, according to records.
The state panel called into question her fitness for the bench, citing a pattern of abusing her authority in holding several people in contempt, including having a female victim handcuffed in one case and jailing a mother of already traumatized children in another, according to a notice of formal charges.
DeSantis appointed Gennusa to the Putnam County judicial seat in 2023. She presides over misdemeanor criminal cases and criminal traffic cases at the Putnam County Courthouse in Palatka, according to the Circuit 7 website.
DeSantis will appoint her replacement through the judicial nominating process.
“Serving as a judge in Putnam County is an honor. I appreciate your trust in appointing me to this seat,” Gennusa wrote.
In her resignation letter, Gennusa wrote she was “proud” that Putnam County residents voted last year for her to retain her seat. But she wrote she was leaving the post to follow her true interest.
“The last two and a half years have revealed to me that my true professional love is practicing law. I enjoyed running my law practice, and litigating cases as I did for over 27 years prior to taking the bench. I miss helping people navigate a complicated legal system, being there for them during difficult times and providing pro-bono representation to those who need it,” Gennusa wrote.
She wrote that she was returning to private practice to open Family, Estate & Mediation Law Group with offices in Palatka and St. Augustine.
“This decision was not an easy one. It is however, the right one for myself and my family. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity you provided to me,” Gennusa wrote in the letter.
Panel cites pattern of Gennusa abusing authority
The Judicial Qualifications Commission stated that several cases showed a pattern by Gennusa of “abusing your contempt authority.”
“Your unwillingness or inability to govern yourself with the dignity, courtesy and patience required by the Code, as well as your casual and illegal use of your contempt power in direct contravention of clearly established procedures and law, raise serious questions about your fitness to serve as a judicial officer,” according to the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission document signed by Assistant General Counsel Hugh R. Brown.
In a response through her attorney, Gennusa admitted she would have done some things differently and cited a lack of experience on the bench for some of the problems. She said she did not follow through and formally hold the man in contempt in one case cited by the commission. She said she ordered a woman, who was the alleged victim in a case, taken into custody to calm her. She also said the two were not in handcuffs the entire time during their custody. And it was less than three hours.
She said since the incidents she learned “a great deal” at Judicial College and made improvements.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Embattled 7th Circuit county judge under investigation for courtroom actions resigns
Reporting by Frank Fernandez, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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