TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – The Florida Supreme Court will publicly reprimand a Wakulla County judge for making “numerous intemperate and caustic comments” during a hearing last year, according to court records.
The court decided to impose discipline on Judge J. Layne Smith, who serves in Florida’s Second Judicial Circuit, for comments made during a motion-to-compel discovery hearing held in September 2025, according to the court documents filed Thursday.
For discipline, the Judicial Qualifications Commission and Judge Smith both asked the Florida Supreme Court to impose a public reprimand, the records revealed. Since then, the court accepted their recommendation of a public reprimand, noting Smith’s cooperation and lack of prior discipline.
A public reprimand is less serious than other options, such as a suspension, according to the Florida Bar.
The court’s inquiry into Smith said that the Wakulla County judge made comments that were “not patient, dignified or courteous and evidenced bias” to the attorneys and the parties during that hearing.
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At one point during the hearing, Judge Smith told the parties, “I would like to tell the deputy to pull his gun and shoot all three of you as far as my level of frustration right now. I really don’t want him to do that,” according to the court documents.
The court records also accused Smith of belittling the attorneys, in which he referred to them as “Apple Dumpling Gang” and “Keystone Cops.”
Just a week after that hearing, the judge recused himself from the case “on his own accord” and self-reported his behavior nearly three weeks later. Furthermore, he issued an apology and recused himself “from any remaining cases involving the parties to that case,” per the documents.
Judge Smith is ordered to appear for the public reprimand at a scheduled time. At this time, WCTV has no further details regarding when that is expected to take place.
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