The Bar Association complaint was filed in April 2020 and regarded Crowley’s actions in 2018 while he was still a candidate for 20th Judicial Circuit State Attorney. The race pitted Crowley against then assistant state attorney Amira Fox.
The gist of the complaint was that Crowley publicly disparaged Fox through various political campaign materials, advertisements, interviews, and social media postings.
The motion to disqualify Ruhl pointed to the fact that she and Fox both used the same campaign treasurer, Eric Robinson, in their 2018 political campaigns and had not previously disclosed the relationship.
Following several days of hearings in February, Ruhl had recommended Crowley be found guilty of misconduct justifying disciplinary measures and that a sanctions hearing be held to determine the appropriate discipline.
VENICE – If Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman had his way, Tuesday afternoon’s swearing-in ceremony would have been a simple matter of stopping by Chief Judge Kimberly Bonner’s chambers with his wife, Teri Hoffman, to recite the oath of office.
Instead, Hoffman found himself on stage at the Venice Community Center, addressing a room full of friends, colleagues and well-wishers – including elected officials, area police chiefs and adjacent county sheriffs – as he thanked everyone for his good fortune.
“It’s not about me, it’s about you in the community,” Hoffman stressed to both the audience in attendance and those watching the socially-distanced ceremony on Facebook Live.
Area police reports 12-10-20 crescent-news.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from crescent-news.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.