Judge apologizes for detaining workers

MILTON, Fla., Aug. 27 (UPI) -- A Florida judge has apologized for having a pair of maintenance workers held because she felt the courtroom was too cold.

Circuit Judge Marci Goodman summoned the workers to her courtroom Monday at the Santa Rosa County Courthouse in Milton and instructed a security guard to "tell them I'll threaten them with jail" after they refused to enter due to another recent confrontation with Goodman about the temperature, the Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal reported Thursday.

The judge is heard on part of an audio recording from the hearing, which concerned a juvenile case, ordering the security guard to have the two workers held in an adjacent room while maintenance supervisor Thad Allen worked to shut off the air conditioning. Goodman can be heard in the recording telling Allen she would not set the workers free until the air conditioning was shut off.

Goodman, who has been a judge since 2001, apologized for the incident Wednesday. She said frustration with the temperature caused her to lose her cool.

"I think I could have handled it better, and I should have handled it better," she said. "I have apologized to them. I take full responsibility."