Florida Judge Suspended For Using AI Deepfake of Phone
A Florida judge was suspended for 30 days and fined $10,000 for using an AI-generated deepfake recording of state high court justices in campaign messaging
- Reported date
- Oct 9, 2026
- Target
- Florida Supreme Court justices and the Ninth Judicial Circuit chief judge
The exact incident date was not established. This entry is dated by its source report.
A Florida trial judge faced disciplinary action after incorporating an AI-generated deepfake into her campaign messaging. The Florida Supreme Court suspended Broward County Judge Lauren Nichole Peffer for 30 days and imposed a $10,000 fine for violating judicial ethics canons.
What happened
The incident originated during a 2024 interview where Judge Peffer sought a local newspaper's endorsement. When asked to provide evidence for her claims regarding an image crisis within the Florida judiciary, Peffer directed the publication to a website containing an AI-generated audio recording. This recording purported to be a private conversation between Florida Supreme Court justices and the chief judge of the Ninth Judicial Circuit.
The Florida Supreme Court determined that the recording was a deepfake, featuring the spoofed voices of Justices Carlos G. Muñiz and Renatha S. Francis. The court's opinion stated that Peffer failed to verify the accuracy of the recording or the contents of a book she cited to support her claims. By promoting these false accusations, the court concluded that Peffer undermined public confidence in the integrity of the judiciary and failed to maintain the dignity appropriate to her office. Justices Muñiz and Francis recused themselves from the disciplinary proceedings, and the court issued an unauthored opinion finalizing the sanctions.