Anyone with a telephone knows the drill. You do not answer a call or text from an unknown number. The first thing you do is “Google” the number. On Sunday, some Broward voters received a text message touting the campaign of Chris Marion Brown. A simple Google search shows the texts came from a phone number associated with his wife, Broward Judge Mindy Brown.

So what?

Judicial candidates and judges must follow a strict set of rules and ethics set by the Supreme Court of Florida. Some of the biggest rules govern what a Judge can and cannot do when their spouse is running for office. Judges are forbidden from using their office to endorse or support the candidacy of their spouse.

Here, anyone who searches the telephone number on Google will discover a clear tie between judicial candidate Brown and Judge Mindy Brown. It doesn’t require any advanced sleuthing skills.

The very first result on Google is a link to Judge Mindy Brown’s 2018 campaign information. In 2018, the same number promoting Chris Brown was listed as her official campaign telephone number. The website includes a picture of Judge Mindy Brown.

To the average Google user, this may appear that Judge Mindy Brown sent a text message endorsing the candidacy of Chris Brown.

Chris Brown should know the judicial canons governing his race. Judge Mindy Brown should definitely know the canons she must follow.

The graphic sent from Judge Mindy Brown’s campaign telephone number includes a picture of the Browns. The graphic makes reference to “Mindy Brown.” Chris Brown and Mindy Brown know he cannot make reference to “Judge” in the piece. So why did they send from a number that links to a picture of Judge Mindy Brown wearing her judicial robes?

Editor’s Note: Full disclosure, this reporter is a friend Chris Brown’s opponent, Michael Ahearn.