On Wednesday, April 30, 2025, the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission recommended the removal of Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Nancy Jacobs from office following a series of misconduct allegations related to her 2022 judicial campaign and actions after taking the bench. The commission’s Hearing Panel submitted its findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the Florida Supreme Court, citing violations of multiple canons of the Florida Code of Judicial Conduct.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Judge Nancy Jacobs,” with case number SC23-1303.
The investigation began with a Notice of Formal Charges filed on September 14, 2023, followed by an amended notice on August 30, 2024, accusing Judge Jacobs of inappropriate conduct during her campaign against incumbent Judge Jared Smith. The charges alleged that Jacobs made disparaging remarks about Smith, failed to monitor her campaign’s social media properly, and promoted an endorsement in a way that suggested a bias in future rulings. Additional allegations addressed post-election behavior, including soliciting a lawyer to challenge another judge and making a rude comment about an attorney in court.
During her 2022 campaign, Jacobs was accused of allowing inappropriate posts on her campaign’s Facebook page, such as comments calling Smith a “scary man” and suggesting he forced a minor to give birth. The panel found these violated canons requiring judicial candidates to maintain dignity and avoid misrepresenting opponents. Jacobs acknowledged responsibility for her campaign’s social media but claimed she was too busy to monitor it closely.
In a text message to a community activist, Jacobs described Smith as a “bigot” and “anti-Semite,” a statement she later admitted was an emotional response and not factual. At a judicial candidate forum, she claimed courthouse personnel had negative views of Smith but were afraid to speak out, a statement the panel found unsupported and damaging to public confidence in the judiciary. Jacobs also posted on a private Facebook group that Smith was only fair to litigants who resembled or thought like him, implying racial bias, which she later conceded was an error in judgment.
The panel cleared Jacobs of charges related to her endorsement by the Florida Planned Parenthood PAC, finding no evidence she was aware of or involved in the organization’s statements suggesting her support for specific reproductive health policies. However, the panel ruled that a campaign post urging voters to “vote as if” they belonged to certain marginalized groups violated canons by implying preferential treatment for specific classes of people.
After assuming her judicial role, Jacobs attended an event on March 29, 2023, where she allegedly encouraged attorney Alicia Whiting-Bozich to run against Judge Robin Fuson, with whom she had a strained relationship. Despite denying this at the final hearing, Jacobs had previously admitted to the conversation, leading the panel to find her denial not credible and in violation of canons promoting judicial integrity. In May 2023, during a courtroom recess, Jacobs referred to an attorney as a “fat, bald lawyer,” a comment she admitted was inappropriate and in violation of canons requiring courtesy.
The Hearing Panel, chaired by Gregory W. Coleman, Esq., conducted a final hearing from February 3-5, 2025, in Tampa. Jacobs raised First Amendment defenses, arguing her campaign statements were protected speech, but the panel deferred this issue to the Florida Supreme Court, citing its exclusive jurisdiction over constitutional challenges to judicial canons.
The panel concluded that Jacobs’ actions, both during her campaign and after taking office, demonstrated a lack of fitness to serve, eroding public trust in the judiciary. Despite considering character witnesses and letters of apology, the panel found her inconsistent expressions of remorse and the cumulative effect of her misconduct warranted removal.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
