Miami-Dade, Florida – Based on a string of misbehavior claims, former Miami-Dade County judge Miguel Fernando Mirabal was disbarred in a noteworthy ruling by the Florida Supreme Court. The court’s decision underlined Mirabal’s handling of his campaign money and his contacts with a judicial-nominating body revealed a “deliberate pattern of dishonesty”.
The prosecution against Mirabal started with charges resulting from his 2018 judicial campaign and a 2019 application for another judgeship. Mirabal resigned after less than four months, even though he was elected a county judge in 2020, amid ongoing investigation on his behavior.
Emphasizing Mirabal’s neglect to follow legislative requirements as a judicial candidate, the Supreme Court’s majority ruling followed a thorough 37-page opinion. The viewpoint noted that Mirabal had deliberately sent false campaign financial records and misled the court nominating commission (JNC) about important facets of his past. This included the failure on his application to the JNC of disclosing participation in several lawsuits—a behavior the court judged not only dishonest but also deliberate to deceive.
The court’s ruling confirmed the referee’s recommendation for disbarment, therefore contradicting Mirabal’s lawyers’ plea for a reduced penalty of suspension based on allegations of negligent misconduct. The defense pointed up Mirabal’s absence of past disciplinary records, his background in community service, and the fines he had already paid—including his resignation. These defenses, nonetheless, did not change the court’s ultimate ruling.
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The claims about campaign money against Mirabal also were severe. He was accused of falsifying financial documents to show a different level of money accessible in his campaign fund throughout the qualifying period for the 2018 election, therefore giving the impression that he had more than was the case. These acts were judged to provide prospective candidates a misleading impression on the financial situation of his campaign.
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Mirabal faced further consequences after losing the 2018 race as the Florida Elections Commission fined him $2,000 for variances in his campaign fund disclosures. The court decided at the end of this sequence of events that Mirabal’s mistakes were intentional and his behavior too calculated to be regarded as accidental.
Underlining the strict criteria demanded of judge candidates and the dire consequences for those who fall short, Miguel Fernando Mirabal’s disbarment signals a turning point in Florida’s court supervision.
