Broward Circuit reassigns Gary Farmer for making lewd comments from the bench

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. 3/1/22-Sen. Gary Farmer, D-Fort Lauderdale, speaks against the bill to limit the terms of school board members during the Senate Rules Committee, Tuesday at the Capitol in Tallahassee. The bill passed the committee. COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO

Broward Circuit Judge Gary Farmer recently spoke a little too loosely from the bench. Several vulgar comments he made in one day earned him a reassignment this week from the court’s criminal division to its civil court.

As first reported by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Farmer — a former Senate Democratic Leader — shared a trifecta of thoughts unbefitting a Judge while ruling over his courtroom last month.

On Thursday, court administrators confirmed it was Farmer’s comments that prompted the change and ordered that he swap seats with Judge Marina Garcia Wood, who until then oversaw foreclosure cases.

On Aug. 15, Farmer told one defendant to wear a condom while on probation, recited gay wordplay from an old comedy sketch and nearly dropped an f-bomb while reprimanding another defendant.

According to the Sentinel, Farmer told a grand theft auto suspect who is expecting three children, each from a different mother, “You are shooting all over the place. … I’m going to order you to wear a condom at all times.”

He then told the man he was appointing him a new defense lawyer from the Public Defender’s Office, but warned the suspect, “Don’t get her pregnant.”

Later that day, he was joking with another lawyer who referenced Marlon Wayans, a star from the popular 1990s “In Living Color” comedy series. Farmer quoted one sketch from the show featuring a pair of flamboyantly gay men talking about football.

“Two snaps up and a sweater,” he said. “He likes it when the Oilers play the Packers. He used to be a tight end and now he’s a wide receiver.”

Another time the same day, Farmer grew impatient with how long it was taking to remove a hostile defendant from the courtroom.

“What the f—,” he said, before stopping short of saying the rest.

It’s not the first time Farmer’s comments got him in hot water.

Farmer won his seat on the bench in 2022 after serving for six years in the Senate. He became Senate Democratic Leader in November 2020, but served in the role for just five months before party members booted him from the position in a vote of no confidence. Lauren Book has served in the role since.

Two and a half years earlier, he drew criticism for “obnoxious” comments he made about Book, whom he said was ill-suited for the leader post because she had two young children.

In a letter to Senate Democrats, former Delray Beach Democratic Sen. Kevin Rader blasted what he characterized as Farmer’s “sexist and antiquated comments” about Book.

Farmer later apologized, explaining that his comments were “in no way meant to be a broad statement on gender, or Senator Book.”

Farmer and Book butted heads again just weeks after Farmer’s ouster, when he insinuated that Book’s support for changes to local gaming fees benefiting Davie, which she represents, was because her father was a longtime lobbyist for the city.

Noting that Davie is in her district, Book attributed Farmer’s criticism to “hurt feelings” over her replacing him as Leader.