Attorney files civil action against Judge Slaton
KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER
A Key West attorney on Aug. 4 filed a motion in an ongoing civil lawsuit asking to have presiding Monroe County Circuit Court Judge Tegan Slaton removed from hearing the case.
Slaton is running for re-election to a second six-year term on the bench but, as of Aug. 1, is on an indefinite medical leave of absence.
Slaton decided to take time off work after Chief Circuit Court Judge Luis Garcia removed him from the bench due to erratic behavior in the courtroom.
Before that, Slaton was taken off the bench in June after he fell asleep during testimony. The judge chalked that up to a bad reaction to a new prescription for sleeping aid Ambien.
Kevin Hoyes, the attorney, is representing the Campbell Courtyard Condo Association against resident Gary Thomas. Thomas bought a condo at auction and is fighting against back homeowners association assessments tied to the unit, Hoyes said.
In the motion for disqualification of Slaton, Hoyes wrote that he and his assistant encountered the judge at a June 5 party hosted by Stuart Grossman at his Sunset Key home.
From the motion: “Slaton confronted [Hoyes] and his assistant, Darci Dore, in the kitchen of Mr. Grossman’s house. Slaton made a number of inappropriate remarks that included the repeated statement that [Hoyes] and his assistant were both ‘Tegan haters.’”
Hoyes wrote that he and Dore tried to brush it off as a joke but, “It became clear as the argument continued, that Judge Slaton viewed [Hoyes] and his assistant’s public support for judicial candidate Bonnie Helm as the basis for their alleged ‘hatred.’”
Helms, a Key West attorney, is running against Slaton, as is Upper Keys attorney Jack Bridges.
Hoyes, reached in his office by Konk Life, declined to discuss his interaction with Slaton, siting ethics rules.
After the Sunset Key exchange, Hoyes consulted with his client, Michael Peltier, president of the condo association.
Hoyes wrote that his client “believes that Judge Slaton will be unable to prevent his strong feelings about the undersigned counsel’s support for candidate Bonnie Helms from influencing his rulings in this case.”
Since Slaton effectively removed himself for the time being from hearing this case and all the others assigned to him, another judge is being brought in to cover the case load.
The primary election is Aug. 26. To win, one candidate would have to get 50 percent of the vote plus one vote. If no candidate gets that margin, the top two vote-getters go onto a Nov. 4 run-off.
Whoever is elected to the seat takes the bench Jan. 6.
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