Chief Judge Lisa Munyon voice deepfake — Oct 2026

During her 2024 campaign for a county court seat, Broward County Judge Lauren Peffer shared a fabricated audio recording of a phone call involving high-ranking Florida judicial officials with a newspaper. The Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission subsequently determined the recording was likely created using generative AI and recommended disciplinary action against the judge.

What happened

While interviewing with the South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Judge Peffer attempted to highlight an alleged image crisis within the Florida judiciary. To support her claims, she cited a book written by a disgruntled former employee and provided the newspaper with an audio recording purported to be a private conversation between Chief Judge Lisa Munyon, state Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz, and Justice Renatha Francis.

Investigations by the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission revealed that the recording was not authentic. The commission filed charges alleging that Peffer violated judicial ethics rules and failed to exercise due diligence by sharing the content without verifying its legitimacy. During a hearing in Fort Lauderdale, Peffer admitted that the recording was racist, sexist, and thuggish, describing her decision to share it as a shortsighted mistake. She testified that she could not justify why she believed the content was valid at the time.

As a result of these actions, the commission’s hearing panel recommended a 30-day suspension, a public reprimand, and a $10,000 fine, noting that the judge’s conduct perpetuated a false and undignified perception of the state judiciary. The final decision regarding the disciplinary measures rests with the Florida Supreme Court.