Probate Judge Suspended After Improperly Using Judicial Power

Palm Beach probate judges do a lot, and it is easy to forget how vast their powers are. Who decides whether or not your father was of sound mind when he left your evil stepmom everything in his Florida will? Who decides if the will or codicil that you are contesting is valid or invalid? Who deems someone incompetent and in need of a guardian? Who decides if guardianships are necessary? A Florida probate judge does. Judges make policy through their decisions and that policy reflects the society within. Thus, it is concerning to see that a probate judge in Maine was disciplined for misconduct and misuse of their power.

Probate Judge is Suspended

• According to a July 21,2016 article in the Portland Press Herald,  a York County probate judge was “suspended from the bench for 30 days and publicly reprimanded.”
• Although this article is not about a Palm Beach probate judge or a Delray Beach guardianship judge, it is still relevant because this easily could have been a judge in South Florida.
• West Palm Beach probate litigators know the importance of having fair and impartial judges.
• The article mentions that this is not the first time that this particular judge, Robert Nadeau, has been in trouble.
• Apparently, this time, he “improperly used his judicial position to try to influence the outcome of a personal legal case in which he was seeking a protection from harassment order against his former girlfriend.”
• To read the entire article, click here.