Florida Supreme Court
Recent News About Florida Supreme Court
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Fla. Supreme Court suspends Tampa attorney no longer practicing law
Tampa attorney Jan Marie McCray, who says she is no longer practicing law, received a 91-day suspension following an Oct. 13 Florida Supreme Court order over allegations that included failing to maintain minimum required trust account records. -
Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust files record request in state Supreme Court hot mic controversy
TALLAHASSEE – Washington-based Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) is seeking emails from two Florida Supreme Court justices following a controversy over comments the pair made that were picked up by a hot mic. -
Jacksonville attorney suspended after failing to return $1.25 million deposited in client account
Jacksonville attorney Christopher Michael Ochoa has been suspended until further notice following an Sept. 19 Florida Supreme Court order over $1.25 million allegedly transferred into his client trust account for a business deal that he failed to return upon request. -
Kissimmee attorney suspended following allegations she failed to diligently represent clients
Kissimmee attorney Talitha Marcine Leacock has been suspended following a Sept. 14 Florida Supreme Court order over allegations she failed to diligently represent clients after being retained. -
Miami attorney suspended for allegedly soliciting client at hospital
Miami attorney Arturo Dopazo III faces a year of suspension following an Oct. 5 Florida Supreme Court opinion over allegations that he solicited a client at a hospital following an automobile accident more than a decade ago. -
Florida Supreme Court authorizes changes to state bar regulations
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida Supreme Court issued its decision Oct. 19 regarding proposed changes to the regulations that govern the Florida Bar. -
Clearwater attorney agrees to disbarment following grand theft guilty plea
Clearwater attorney John Arthur Smitten, currently in Pinellas County Jail following his guilty plea on a charge he had stolen more than $100,000 from an area law firm, has agreed to his disbarment following a Sept. 14 Florida Supreme Court order. -
Chief justice's hot mic remarks shows 'intent to influence' process of filling SC vacancies, lawyer says
TALLAHASSEE - Following a hearing at the Florida Supreme Court last week over who gets to appoint replacements for three justices whose terms expire in 2019, a hot mic picked up what is described as a troubling exchange between Chief Justice Jorge Labarga and Justice Barbara Pariente. -
Clermont attorney publicly reprimanded after employing disbarred attorney as paralegal
Clermont attorney Justin Rickman has been publicly reprimanded by publication following an April 13 Florida Supreme Court order over allegations he employed a disbarred attorney as a paralegal. -
Winter Park attorney reprimanded, placed on probation following trust account irregularities
Winter Park attorney Eric Anthony Lanigan, practicing in Florida for almost 41 years, has been publicly reprimanded by publication in the Southern Reporter and placed on two years' probation following an Aug. 3 Florida Supreme Court order related to allegations in three separate cases. -
Former Broward School Board member suspended additional 2 years from law practice
Coral Springs attorney and former Broward County School Board member Stephanie Arma Kraft has been suspended for two additional years following an June 22 Florida Supreme Court order after her 2014 guilty plea to official misconduct. -
Massachusetts attorney suspended after found in contempt
Massachusetts attorney Heather Aquafresca has been suspended for three years, effective immediately, following an Sept. 13 Florida Supreme Court after being found in contempt for failing to comply with a March 8 suspension order. -
Cape Coral attorney permanently disbarred after found in contempt
Cape Coral attorney Renee Binns has been permanently disbarred following an Sept. 14 Florida Supreme Court order over allegations she was found in contempt for violating several Florida State Bar rules. -
Florida Supreme Court responds to questions about Florida copyright law
TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Supreme Court answered four certified questions from the 11th Circuit regarding copyright law pertaining to pre-1972 sound recordings in a ruling filed Oct. 26. -
Hollywood attorney disbarred following allegations client difficulties
Hollywood attorney Carol Lynn Benson Kendall has been disbarred following an Sept. 22 Florida Supreme Court order over allegations that included failing to adequately represent clients in two separate matters. -
Fort Lauderdale attorney publicly reprimanded for client issues while he was ill
Fort Lauderdale attorney David Arthur Eagle has been publicly reprimanded following a June 22 Florida Supreme Court order over allegations that, while suffering ill health, his communications with clients suffered and, in one case, the statute of limitations expired for lack of a filing. -
Orlando attorney suspended after being found in contempt
Orlando attorney Nicholas Randall Jones has been suspended until further order following an Oct. 12 Florida Supreme Court order after he was found in contempt for not complying with a previous suspension over failing to respond to an official Florida State Bar inquiry. -
U.S. District Court judges levy sanctions against Florida attorneys
A panel of U.S. district court judges have imposed $9.1 million in sanctions on a pair of Florida lawyers involved in Engel product liability cases waged by smokers against the U.S. tobacco industry and ultimately settled, deeming the moves a waste of judicial resources. -
Florida Supreme Court allows more liberal use of contingency fee multiplier
TALLAHASSEE – In a noteworthy decision filed Oct. 19, the Florida Supreme Court determined a trial court can apply a contingency fee multiplier even when no “rare” and “exceptional” circumstances exist. -
Atlanta attorney publicly reprimanded, placed on probation after two DUI convictions
Atlanta attorney Nishit Virendra Patel has been publicly reprimanded by publication in the Southern Reporter following an Aug. 24 Florida Supreme Court ruling after being convicted of DUI twice in two years.