A Private Reprimand From The Fifth Circuit With Dissents To Make It Public
The Eleventh Circuit Judicial Council's decision to keep Judge Betsy's reprimand private has raised concerns about transparency and accountability. Critics argue that without public knowledge of the judge's identity, litigants cannot effectively determine potential conflicts of interest. In contrast, the Fifth Circuit has seen dissenting opinions advocating for public disclosure in similar cases, highlighting a divide in judicial ethics.
- ▪The Eleventh Circuit Judicial Council decided to keep Judge Betsy's reprimand private despite identifying a conflict of interest.
- ▪Critics argue that this lack of transparency prevents litigants from knowing if a judge should be disqualified.
- ▪In a similar case, the Fifth Circuit Judicial Council had dissenting opinions advocating for public disclosure of a judge's identity.
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A Private Reprimand From The Fifth Circuit With Dissents To Make It Public How could it be that not a single member of the 11th Circuit Judicial Council thought to make Judge Betsy's reprimand public? Josh Blackman | 5.30.2026 11:28 PM I continue to remain confounded by the Eleventh Circuit's Judicial Council decision to make Judge Betsy's reprimand private. (Yes, I know her name, but Judge Betsy has stuck.) As I noted in a post quickly written before sundown yesterday, the Council identified a clear conflict of interest, but left the public unaware of which judge possesses that conflict.
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