[Sativa]

A judge charged with smoking marijuana in a city park — and perhaps best known for his bit role in the Anna Nicole Smith case — will take a leave of absence beginning Wednesday.

Judge Lawrence Korda heard brief arguments in cases here following Smith’s death and was given a misdemeanor citation last month after police said they caught him smoking marijuana while sitting under a tree.

Korda announced his voluntary decision to go on leave during a meeting with Dale Ross, the chief judge in Broward County. The leave is temporary but for an indefinite period of time; Korda will continue to receive pay.

“I think a little break is appropriate,” Ross told The Miami Herald. “I think this will allow issues to sort themselves out.”

A message left by The Associated Press in Korda’s chambers Tuesday afternoon was not immediately returned.

The fight over control of Smith’s body began in Korda’s courtroom. It ended up being heard by Circuit Judge Larry Seidlin, who carved his own slice of celebrity from the televised hearings with his relentless one-liners and tearful announcement of his decision.

Korda later heard brief arguments in a related case, seeking to determine the biological father of the baby. He ruled that a Bahamian court had jurisdiction over the child’s custody.



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