A Broward County judge, who was facing a misconduct complaint over her relationship with a prosecutor during a 2007 murder case they participated in, is resigning.
Ana Gardiner wrote in a letter dated Wednesday to Gov. Charlie Crist that the resignation is effective at 5 p.m. on May 28.
The Judicial Qualifications Commission had accused Gardiner of failing to disclose she had a close relationship with a prosecutor while overseeing a first-degree murder trial he was handling.
Gardiner and former state prosecutor Howard Scheinberg were allegedly romantically involved in 2007 and exchanged 950 phone calls and nearly 500 text messages during the murder trial of Omar Loureiro.
Loureiro was found guilty and Gardiner sentenced the man to death.
The judicial commission could have recommended that the Florida Supreme court strip her on her judgeship.
