A month after she was accused by the chief circuit judge of “neglect of duty” for a litany of reported problems in her office, Leon County Clerk of Court Gwen Marshall Knight denied it in a formal response.
On June 27, Chief Judge Frank Allman of the 2nd Judicial Circuit wrote Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz to complain about “systemic failure” in the clerk’s office, including excessive delays and errors that he said threatened the “prompt and efficient administration of justice.”
Allman, in a strongly worded letter that he sent first to Knight, said he was required under court rules to refer the clerk to the chief justice, who in turn may report her to the governor’s office.
But Knight’s private attorney, Mohammad Jazil, countered in a July 23 letter to Muñiz, saying there was no “failure” under court rules.
Jazil, a partner in the Tallahassee office of the Holtzman Vogel law firm, also has represented the administrations of Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Gov. Rick Scott in litigation. His hourly rate is $450, according to current contracts for his legal services on file with the state.
“As with any entity, however, mistakes are sometimes made,” he wrote. “Where mistakes are made, steps are taken to ensure that they aren’t likely to recur. That’s what’s happening now in the Leon County Clerk’s Office.”
Jazil wrote that the clerk’s office “took seriously” Allman’s concerns and that the problems have been “reviewed, addressed and resolved.” He said new training and procedures are in place “to ensure such issues” don’t happen again.
“It should go without saying: the Leon County Clerk’s Office takes its duties and responsibilities seriously,” he wrote. “Leon County residents put significant faith and trust into the office, and the leaders and employees of the office work every day to meet and exceed that faith and trust.”
In his nine-page letter, Jazil said clerk’s offices across the state are facing funding, staffing and administrative issues, but that the problems were hitting the Leon County clerk’s office “acutely and uniquely.”
“The kinds of cases Leon County receives aren’t like cases other counties receive,” he wrote. “The (office) gets a number of high-profile cases concerning state government, state agencies, constitutional issues and issues related to two of the state’s premier universities.”
Jazil said the office docketed nearly 50,000 civil and criminal cases and reopened more than 12,000 between July 2024 and June 2025. It processed more than 450 writs of mandamus filed by state prisoners against the Florida Department of Corrections, though he said few fees were collected.
Over the same time frame, he said the office got at least 1,321 applications to waive fees in civil cases. He said Leon County’s poverty rate is higher than the state and national average, which “leads to a high demand for services.”
Complaints about Leon Clerk’s office are plentiful
Allman is hardly the only person who has complained about the clerk’s office ― prosecutors, defense attorneys, the media and others have raised concerns. One former high-ranking employee sued in February claiming he and others were discriminated against because of their race.
Fred Conrad, a well-known Tallahassee criminal defense lawyer, complained in a July 28 public Facebook post that a client was spending the night in jail despite an order from a judge to release him.
“Today, my client was the victim of this office’s incompetence and sadly, he’s not the first of my clients to suffer as a result of their gross malfeasance,” Conrad wrote.
Knight’s lawyer responded to specific issues Allman raised in his letter, including allegations that docketing errors led to the unlawful arrest of one woman and the unlawful release of another.
He said courtroom video showed the error that led to the arrest was the result of a “distracted deputy clerk” who had been “simultaneously approached by two court staff members.” He denied that a deputy clerk was responsible for the unlawful release of a different defendant, saying a no-bond warrant was entered into the system the same day a judge signed it.
Jazil addressed errors by the clerk that led to the release of confidential information in Donna Adelson’s murder trial, though he didn’t mention the case by name. He said the employee responsible was formally reprimanded and that supervisors are now required to review potentially confidential material in high-profile cases before it is filed.
He defended the office’s handling of public records, which Allman said had prevented private attorneys and the media from getting “routine” court documents: “Such records are often voluminous, complex, and may require several hours or days to review and make available to the public,” Jazil wrote.
Jazil said the office “is being proactive” and focusing on “forward-looking solutions,” including further use of artificial intelligence for civil and criminal cases. He mentioned that there was “constructive dialogue” between Clerk Knight and Chief Judge Allman on July 18 and July 22.
“Please be assured that the Leon County Clerk’s Office takes these matters seriously,” he wrote, “and is working diligently to uphold the highest standards of accuracy, efficiency, and service to the public.”
Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Leon court clerk’s lawyer denies ‘neglect of duty’ claims after judge’s complaint
Reporting by Jeff Burlew, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
