Manatee Judge John Lakin's misconduct hearing scheduled for June

A hearing to determine if Circuit Judge John Lakin violated the rules of judicial conduct has been scheduled for June 20.

The Judicial Qualifications Commission charged Lakin with misconduct Feb. 1 for requesting and taking Tampa Bay Rays baseball tickets from the Kallins, Little & Delgado law firm while presiding over the case Wittke v. Walmart.

A jury trial in June ruled in favor of Walmart, and Lakin later overturned the decision to the benefit of Wittke, the law firm's client.

Kallins, Little & Delgado gave Lakin baseball tickets four times while the case was pending, with five tickets coming the day before Lakin overturned the jury decision.

Lakin has admitted to all charges, except for a charge saying he violated a requirement to "dispose of all judicial matters promptly, efficiently, and fairly." He also denied that his actions demonstrate an unfitness to serve, as the JQC notice of formal charges concluded.

The hearing will begin at 9

a.m. June 20 at a courtroom in the Hillsborough County Courthouse.

There will also be a prehearing telephone conference June 6 at 11 a.m., and all prehearing statements, witness lists, exhibits, discovery, depositions and stipulations are to be submitted no later than May 27.

Lakin will be limited to three live character witnesses.

This story was originally published March 2, 2016 at 11:01 PM with the headline "Manatee Judge John Lakin's misconduct hearing scheduled for June ."