Miami Judge Fined, Suspended In Hotel Stay Case
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MIAMI (CBSMiami/NSF) - A Miami-Dade County judge will have to pay a $5,000 fine and serve a 90-day suspension in an ethics case that centered on free hotel stays.
Judge Maria Ortiz and an investigative panel of the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission reached the agreement, known as a stipulation, last month after the Supreme Court rejected a proposal for lighter penalties.
On Tuesday, the state Supreme Court, in a 6-0 decision, approved the stipulation.
The case has centered on allegations that Ortiz failed to properly report hotel stays in 2015 and 2016 on financial-disclosure forms.
It also is related to criminal charges that were filed against Ortiz's husband, Mariano Fernandez, who served as director of the Building Department for the city of Miami Beach, according to court records. Fernandez was accused of helping a hotel company with permitting problems and receiving free accommodations.
Ortiz, who also will have to appear at the Supreme Court for a public reprimand, acknowledged in the stipulation that "while believing her husband was appropriately managing the household finances, she failed to take reasonable steps to stay apprised of her financial circumstances, including failing to make specific inquiry into how the trips were paid for."
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