The Public Defender's Office on Monday called for a state investigation into a Broward County judge's courtroom comments that they say demean minorities and poor people.

But County Judge Leonard Feiner said his statements are being blown out of proportion and there is nothing racist or elitist about what he said Thursday morning to a courthouse cleaning supervisor.

Feiner demanded that custodial supervisor Nadine Coke appear in his courtroom after discovering someone had left his bench in disarray, pushing aside desk supplies, his phone and coffee mugs. When Feiner began questioning Coke whether the custodial staff was responsible for the mess, the courtroom recording system was turned off. But midway through the conversation, the recording system came back on, a court transcript shows.

"They may live in -- in hovels where they -- where they live, but they don't have to leave places they work looking like a dump," Feiner said.

Coke asked: "They live where?"

Feiner answered: "I said people that -- that they hire may live in hovels, but they don't have to leave courtrooms and the places they work looking like a slum."

Coke said: "Hovels and slums. OK."

Chief Assistant Public Defender Catherine Keuthan said it's common knowledge that the courthouse's custodial staff at night is primarily Haitian Americans.

The Public Defender's Office mailed the complaint Monday to the Judicial Qualifications Commission, the state agency that oversees judges, because Feiner's comments were not only racially insensitive, but showed contempt for the poor, Keuthan said. She said the letter was signed by Public Defender Howard Finkelstein and all 10 of his chief assistant public defenders.

"We found these comments to be outrageous and discriminatory and they should be the subject of discipline," Keuthan said.

Feiner said Monday he has no idea what the racial makeup is of the courthouse's nighttime custodial staff.

"There's nothing racist about it," he said. "Anybody can construe anything they want if they have a motive or agenda. It wasn't racist because as far as I know I don't know who these people are."

The comments also had nothing to do with class, he said.

"It has to do with the fact [that] this is how they left the courtroom," he said.

Feiner said he might have overreacted a little bit to finding his desk a mess. He said that shortly after the exchange with Coke, he went to her office and apologized. Coke could not be reached for comment.

Feiner, who has spent 16 years on the bench, said he has had ongoing problems with the Public Defender's Office.

"They seem to disagree with the way I interpret the law and rule," Feiner said. "Rather than go through the normal process they want to make mountains out of all kinds of molehills."

Keuthan said the Public Defender's Office has filed a prior Judicial Qualifications Commission complaint against Feiner for his treatment of their clients. That complaint did not result in the commission bringing a case against the judge.