The Supreme Court has issued a 25-day suspension, without pay, to a Polk County judge who acknowledged making repeated, improper campaign statements in 2022.

Among other things, justices noted that Polk County Judge John B. Flynn’s statements supporting law enforcement, including a pledge that “Criminals won’t be happy to see me on the bench,” and that “Grady’s Hotel (AKA the jail) is open 24*7 365 days a year,” for defendants with a criminal history, violated judicial ethics in a way that “cast doubt on his impartiality” and amounted to “very serious” misconduct.

“Because of these statements, when Judge Flynn took office, his chief judge had to make administrative adjustments to ensure that Flynn was not assigned to a criminal docket,” the justices noted.