A Broward County judge with a history of alcohol problems is being recommended for removal from the bench. Judge Gisele Pollack has been a judge since 2004, overseeing low-level cases in the county's misdemeanor drug court.
Pollack admitted being drunk in the courtroom in December 2013. She agreed to stop drinking alcohol altogether, but the same thing happened a few months later.
Pollack then joined an inpatient substance-abuse program, but quit. A day after leaving rehab, she was in a car accident and arrested for DUI. The Florida Supreme Court suspended her without pay, and she’s been fighting to keep her job.
Pollack says she was sober for 20 years before personal tragedies led her to relapse. Her attorney says Pollack's alcoholism is a disability that doesn't warrant being fired.
A panel of the Judicial Qualifications Commission says Pollack has provided dedicated service to the state, but she is "presently unfit"to remain on the bench. The state Supreme Court is expected to confirm her removal.
News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
Update: Gisele Pollack resigned from the bench Tuesday afternoon.
