Federal judge recuses herself from Stringer case

A federal judge assigned to hear the criminal case against former state appeals judge Thomas E. Stringer has recused herself from the case because of her past work with the defendant.

U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington directed the court clerk to assign the case to another judge.

"Having served as a judge along with the defendant on the Florida Second District Court of Appeal from September 2001 until September 2004, and having worked and interacted with the defendant on a regular basis during that time period, I find it necessary to recuse myself from the above-styled case," Covington wrote in an order. "Accordingly, to avoid even the appearance of impropriety, the undersigned recuses herself from this matter."

The case was reassigned to U.S District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich.

Stringer, who retired from the bench in February as he was being investigated by the state Judicial Qualifications Commission, is scheduled to plead guilty before U.S. Magistrate Mark Pizzo to bank fraud. Stringer has signed a plea agreement admitting he helped stripper Christy Yamanaka hide her financial assets from creditors.

Magistrate judges may hear guilty pleas in felony cases when defendants waive their right to enter their pleas before district court judges. Magistrates can only recommend whether a district judge should accept the plea. District judges sentence felony defendants.

The charge against Stringer carries a maximum possible sentence of 30 years in prison, but the former judge is expected to receive a probation sentence. He has also agreed to forfeit $222,000.

According to the charge against Stringer, he lied on a loan application to purchase a house in Hawaii, saying the money used in the down payment was his, when, in fact, it was Yamanaka's.

Authorities began looking at Stringer after a series of reports in March 2008 by News Channel 8 and The Tampa Tribune revealed Stringer allowed Yamanaka to deposit tens of thousands of dollars into his bank accounts.