Fort Lauderdale NAACP Demands Removal Of Family Court Judge Lawrence Korda

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A letter sent to the Judicial Qualifications Commission from the Fort Lauderdale chapter of the NAACP demands that a Broward County judge be removed from the bench amid allegations that he was smoking marijuana in a Hollywood park Sunday.

Marsha A. Ellison, president of the Fort Lauderdale branch of The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, wrote the letter March 20 to Brooke Kennerly, executive director of the commission in Tallahassee. In the letter, Ellison states that the area in which Korda was allegedly smoking the illegal substance was a "drug-free zone with children nearby" and that the judge was "undeserving" of his position.

The letter reads:

"In light of Broward Circuit Court Judge Lawrence Korda being charged with possession and usage of marijuana on Sunday, March 18, 2007, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) demands his removal from the 17th Judicial Circuit. The revelation that Judge Korda chose to openly use an illegal substance in a drug-free zone with children nearby clearly shows he is undeserving of this important position.

The NAACP finds this behavior disturbing and unacceptable. No judge should violate the laws we all share."

Korda, who was part of the Anna Nicole Smith proceedings, was in Stanley Goldman Park near Hollywood Boulevard on Sunday at about 2 p.m. when police patrolling the park smelled marijuana, followed the scent and found him seated on a bench, police said.

Korda, 59, was not arrested but was issued a notice to appear in court and faces a charge of marijuana possession, according to police.

When asked by a Local 10 reporter about the allegations, Korda said Tuesday that it would be inappropriate to make a comment.

Korda made national news during the Smith case in South Florida when he was assigned to hear pleas from lawyers for Larry Birkhead, an ex-boyfriend of Smith who claims to be the biological father of Smith's baby, Dannielynn. Korda dismissed the paternity action.

The hearing date for the judge, who lives in Hollywood, has been set for April 26.Where their DCF regional director nick Cox says it's not uncommon for parents in nasty custody cases to seek revenge. But even he is surprised by the numbers. Candidly I must say -- I think we need to increase the amount of times that we refer people over for criminal prosecution and police Father's Day is -- start but warn other dads the system -- to protect children. Can easily destroy what's left of a family -- always.

It was you're innocent until proven guilty. That's absolutely not the case.

The and you just heard from -- my house is saving money to get his case we heard. So he can spend more time with his kids. I tried contacting all of the mothers and involved in these stories. Only -- Shriver his ex wife responded. Kelli Griffin tells me she believes women lying all the time to get custody of their kids. And if she did that she said she would not confessed. Here's some background. Griffin made her original abuse allegations in July 09 she signed a letter.