Embattled 1st District Court of Appeal Judge Paul Hawkes Resigns

Embattled 1stDistrict Court of Appeal Judge Paul Hawkes has submitted a letter of resignation, the St. Petersburg Times is reporting.

"Hawkes has submitted a letter to Gov. Rick Scott saying he will leave the court on Jan. 4, 2012, just a few weeks before he was scheduled to face trial for conduct unbecoming a judge. He was appointed to the court by Gov. Jeb Bush in 2002," the Times reported.

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