Florida Supreme Court justices have personal ties to abortion, Disney. Should they recuse themselves?
Two Florida Supreme Court justices have personal connections with two of the biggest legal fights in the state over control of Disney World development and abortion rights.
Justice Meredith Sasso is married to one of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ go-to guys in his culture war battle against Disney, a clash that could make it to the state Supreme Court.
Justice Charles Canady’s wife is a Republican state representative who co-sponsored a six-week abortion ban. The Supreme Court is hearing arguments on the abortion issue Friday.
Despite their personal ties, Florida’s judicial ethics code doesn’t require those justices to step aside, said Bob Jarvis, a law professor at Nova Southeastern University.
“There is no one that can police a Florida Supreme Court justice and tell them that they need to recuse themselves,” Jarvis said. “What we need is such an entity.”
The ethics code advises justices to avoid the “appearance of impropriety.” It also states judges should disqualify themselves if their “impartiality might reasonably be questioned,” including instances in which a judge’s spouse has an interest that could be affected.