Staff Reports
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is making a loud call that should wake up anyone worried about crime and public safety: he wants to impeach a judge who acquitted a woman after she drowned her baby and attacked family members. This is not a debate about legal theory on paper. It is about whether judges who make dangerous rulings will face any consequences for putting citizens at risk.
What happened in the Miami case
Miami-Dade circuit judge Miguel de la O acquitted Precious Bland after a bench trial where Bland admitted she drowned her 15-month-old in a bathtub and stabbed her husband and another child. Witnesses and police reports say she shouted that “Jesus Christ is coming and COVID is going to kill us all” and insisted on baptizing the family in the tub. The judge ruled an insanity defense applied and allowed her to go home before a later hearing about treatment. Yes — she was allowed to leave after drowning her baby. If that fact doesn’t make your stomach drop, read it again.
Why Attorney General Uthmeier wants impeachment
AG James Uthmeier called the ruling “unacceptable” and says it crosses a line. He argues impeachment is the tool state constitutions gave us to remove judges who exceed authority or endanger the public. He’s not stopping at one judge. Uthmeier says he’s also looking at judges in Tallahassee and Miami for similarly baffling choices — including letting a convicted child predator go free and releasing a violent suspect on bail. The message is blunt: when judicial decisions undermine safety, someone must be held responsible.
The bigger picture: accountability vs. unchecked discretion
Judicial independence matters. So does public safety. Right now, too many courts reward creative excuses and novel legal theories while people suffer the consequences. When a judge treats an admitted child killer as if she merely needs a timeout, that sends the wrong message to victims and the public. The impeachment process exists for moments like this — not as a political cudgel, but as a safety valve when the system fails. If we value both law and life, we should expect judges to apply common sense and the rule of law.
Lawmakers should pay attention and act with speed and seriousness. Voters should too. This isn’t theater — it’s a test of whether public officials will defend citizens from dangerous, out-of-touch rulings. If Attorney General Uthmeier can move the legislature to hold judges accountable, it will send a clear signal: public safety comes before legal sophistry. And if the legislature balks, don’t be surprised when voters remember who let judges play fast and loose with the rules while families paid the price.
