Judge Accused of Bias for Dig About Cigar-Smoking, Latte-Drinking Lawyer
A Florida judge accused of telling a bank lawyer he couldn’t sit in his office “smoking his Cohiba cigars and drinking his lattes” while the court does it work has recused himself from the case.
Judge John Doyle told the Daytona Beach News-Journal Online that the lawyer, Farzad Milani, had missed several hearings in a foreclosure case and wasn’t available by phone when the judge called.
Doyle said he was allowing bank lawyers to appear by telephone in the 3,000 pending foreclosure cases before him, but some lawyers weren’t answering the phone calls. That caused frustration for homeowners facing foreclosure, who often miss work to show up for court hearings that get continued.
Milani was “the fellow that broke the camel’s back,” Doyle told the publication. As a result, he no longer allows phone appearances.
Milani filed a motion for recusal alleging that Doyle threatened to make an example of Milani and get him disbarred. The court papers claim Doyle said he would not do his work while Milani “sits in his office in Fort Lauderdale smoking his Cohiba cigars and drinking his lattes,” according to the story. Doyle also threatened to hold Milani in contempt of court.
The recusal motion said Doyle’s comments contained “inferences of a racial or ethnic bias.”
Doyle recused himself after lawyers for Milani asked a Florida appeals court to rule on the motion.
