"Don't Say Gay" Sponsor Held In Contempt for Obscene Gesture in Court

Republican Randy Fine is endorsed by Trump

Florida State Representative Randy Fine was held in civil contempt of court today for wearing inappropriate attire and making obscene gestures during a court hearing. Fine appeared for a court appearance in a campaign t-shirt and appeared to have displayed his middle finger directed towards either the judge or the opposing party, both of whom he has had a contentious relationship with. 

Fine was the co-sponsor of the "Don't Say Gay" bill (Parental Rights in Education Act) which he proudly touted as a signature achievement. He also strongly supported Ron Desantis in his feud against Disney. He recently won his primary for State Senate with 73% of the vote with Donald Trump's endorsement.

The court appearance was on August 19 for a case where Fine was involved in a lawsuit involving Brevard Supervisor of Elections Tim Bobanic. The presiding Circuit Judge Scott Blaue issued an order scheduling a contempt hearing for Fine based on his conduct during that hearing. Judge Blaue stated the following in the order:

"Upon consideration of the Court's observances and information attached hereto, you are commanded to appear and then and there show cause why you should not be held in civil contempt of court ... for your actions, which include: offensive conduct intended to hinder or obstruct a court proceeding; or lessen the court’s authority or dignity."

Although the lawsuit was subsequently dismissed, that did not get Fine off the hook for his behavior. Judge Blaue moved forward with the contempt hearing today and found that he did not believe Fine's claim that he didn't make the obscene gesture:

"For at least 33 minutes during the hearing, Mr. Fine was making those gestures and mouthing those words, which included 'Eff You.' The court is convinced those gestures and those comments were directed at (plaintiff Robert Burns) and not the court. If the court believed it was directed to the court, it would be a criminal contempt proceeding, not a civil contempt proceeding."

Florida Today reported that Judge Blaue ordered Fine to complete an 8 hour Anger Management class.

Fine made national headlines when he broke from Ron Desantis and became one of the only Florida State Reps to endorse Donald Trump over Desantis in the presidential primary. Trump then returned the favor by endorsing Fine in his State Senate race. 

Fine also made national headlines in 2022 when he responded to President Biden’s remarks after a horrific school shooting with a threatening post on Twitter. He never apologized for it.

Fine will face Democrat Vance Ahrens in the November general election.