Judge who jailed lost defendants is removed

TALLAHASSEE, FLA.. -- A judge who jailed 11 people because they were late for traffic court after being directed to the wrong courtroom was removed from the bench Thursday by the state Supreme Court.

In a unanimous decision, the court said the jailing and strip-searching of the 11 motorists capped a series of conduct complaints against Seminole County Judge John Sloop, 57.

“Judge Sloop’s indifference to the anxiety, humiliation and hardship imposed upon these 11 citizens reflects a callous disregard for others that is among the most egregious examples we have seen of abuse of judicial authority and lack of proper judicial temperament,” the justices wrote in an unsigned opinion.

The 11 had gone to court on such citations as driving with a suspended license and having an illegal tag. Sloop jailed them although two judges and a bailiff told him they were not to blame.

Another judge began paperwork to release them while Sloop was running an errand, but the motorists were not freed until they had been strip-searched and spent nine hours behind bars, the high court noted.

Sloop had also been accused of ignoring rules by refusing to release one defendant on a minor charge and treating another with rude and abusive behavior.

Sloop admitted he violated judicial canons. He said he had since been treated for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.