“The judges would appreciate it if the lawyers and their clients keep in mind these Zoom hearings are just that: hearings. They are not casual phone conversations,” Bailey wrote. “It is remarkable how many ATTORNEYS appear inappropriately on camera. We’ve seen many lawyers in casual shirts and blouses, with no concern for ill-grooming, in bedrooms with the master bed in the background, etc.”
Bailey complained that one male attorney appeared shirtless during a Zoom hearing, while a female lawyer was on camera while in bed “still under the covers.”
“And putting on a beach cover-up won’t cover up (that) you’re poolside in a bathing suit,” Bailey wrote. “So, please, if you don’t mind, let’s treat court hearings as court hearings, whether Zooming or not.”
Bailey is noted for his candor. In December 2018, he was reprimanded after berating a defense lawyer during a criminal trial in front of the jury, the Sun-Sentinel reported. Bailey admitted his misconduct to the state's to the Judicial Qualifications Commission and agreed to be reprimanded before the Florida Supreme Court, the newspaper reported.
Courthouses were shut down in Broward County on March 16 in a move to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Sun-Sentinel reported. Through Zoom, the Broward County courts have held about 1,200 meetings that involved 14,000 people, according to The Associated Press.
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