On Wednesday, August 20, 2025, the Investigative Panel of the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission filed an amended notice of formal charges against Broward County Judge Lauren Peffer, advancing a single ethics charge related to her 2024 judicial campaign.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Judge Lauren Peffer,” with case number SC2025-0647.
The commission, responsible for overseeing judicial conduct, alleges that Peffer violated a rule requiring judges and judicial candidates to uphold the dignity, impartiality, integrity, and independence of the judiciary.
The charge stems from Peffer’s campaign for Broward County judge, during which she highlighted concerns about public trust in the judiciary. As part of her campaign, she referenced a self-published book that criticized the judiciary in Orlando.
The book, authored by a former employee, included unverified allegations and fake recordings suggesting inappropriate conduct by the Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court and the Chief Judge of the 11th Circuit Court of Florida. The commission faults Peffer for not verifying the book’s claims or contacting the judges named in it before using it to support her campaign narrative.
Initially, the Judicial Qualifications Commission had filed two charges against Peffer. The second charge, which accused her of making inappropriate pledges or promises during her campaign, was dropped in the amended notice.
Peffer, who won her election in August 2024 with 52.5% of the vote, acknowledged issues with the book’s credibility during her campaign and ceased referencing it after its accuracy was challenged.
The ongoing ethics charge focuses solely on Peffer’s failure to ensure the accuracy of the allegations she promoted.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
