Judge’s Group Chat Energy Lands Her in Hot Water

MIAMI — Meet Bronwyn Miller, appellate judge extraordinaire (and apparently enthusiastic texter). A Florida oversight panel has found probable cause to bring formal disciplinary charges against the Third District Court of Appeal judge — following a torrent of text messages that reportedly denigrated a fellow judge and urged the Katherine Fernandez Rundle office to handle one of Miami’s colossal criminal cases exactly how you-know-who wants.

According to the 22-page filing filed Thursday with the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission and forwarded to the Florida Supreme Court, Judge Miller’s texts “cast reasonable doubt on your capacity to act impartially … demean the judicial office … may lead to your frequent disqualification … and appear to be coercive.”

In other words: “Nice judge you’ve got here — it’d be a shame if something happened to it.”

What the texts reportedly included

• Judge Miller allegedly sent messages to State Attorney Rundle, and also to or about Andrea Wolfson (a circuit judge in Miami-Dade), saying things like: “Her factual findings are wrong … This is insane … It’s ridiculous.”
• She reportedly said to Rundle: “You will allow rumors to destroy us all … My reputation is all I have and I am going to become a casualty of a failure to take a stance.” That’s not the language of “Dear colleague…” more like “If you don’t do this, we’re toast.”
• The panel says many of the communications were initiated by Miller after her February 9, 2024 testimony in the case of Corey Smith — a convicted gang leader whose post-conviction litigation was active. Miller had been part of the original prosecution.

The big picture (yes, there is one)
So: A judge once a prosecutor, now on the bench, still texting the prosecutor’s office about a case she used to try. While the case is still in motion. That, folks, is what gives the oversight panel serious pause about whether she can truly be impartial. Because when you’re texting a prosecutor about how a case “must be handled,” that doesn’t scream “bench-and-gavel neutral” — it echoes “director behind the scenes.”

Miller’s defenders say she’s got nearly 28 years of distinguished service, and that her communications were the exercise of her First Amendment rights and concerned public safety and her role as witness. Meanwhile, the oversight panel says: nice try, but you still look like you might have been pushing the buttons.

What happens next
Judge Miller has 20 days to file a written response to the charges. If the case proceeds, it will head to the Florida Supreme Court, which will decide what happens. Options include public reprimand, suspension, or — yes — removal from the bench.

A few takeaway truths

• Texts can and will matter in judicial ethics.
• Appearing impartial is as important as being impartial.
• If you’ve prosecuted a case, then testify in it, then start texting about it and you’re on the bench? That’s a red flag the oversight folks will wave.
• Formal charges don’t mean guilt yet — but they are serious.

In short: you might want to rethink what “just a friendly text to the state attorney” looks like when you’re sitting on an appellate bench. Because in Miami, apparently, even the “friendly” text might be the one that sends your career back to square one.

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