Jacksonville attorney Reginald Estell Jr. has been voluntarily disbarred following a Nov. 2 Florida Supreme Court following allegations he failed to respond to a Florida State Bar inquiry and a subpoena for trust records and neglected traffic cases.
Estell already was suspended, following an order issued in July, so his disbarment was effective immediately, according to the state court's two-page order of disciplinary revocation. Estelle also was ordered to pay $1,250 in costs.
The disciplinary revocation, tantamount to disbarment, gave Estell leave to seek readmission after five years. The Florida State Bar announced the discipline and the supreme court's order Dec. 28.
In Florida, court orders are not final until after time to file a rehearing motion expires. Attorneys disbarred in the state, in addition to applying for readmission, must also pass through an extensive process that includes a rigorous background check and retaking the bar exam.
Estell was admitted to the bar in Florida on Oct. 6, 1989, according to his profile at the state bar website.
In his petition filed with the court, Estell said he retired in June, after 28 years practicing law, "to pursue other business endeavors". He was suspended the following month, following a state supreme court order, after being held in contempt for failing to respond to the state bar's inquiry and a subpoena.
As part of his petition, Estelle agreed to allow the state bar to audit his trust accounts and to provide the state bar with a sworn financial affidavit.
Disciplinary charges that were pending against Estell including borrowing money from a client and failing to timely pay it back and failing to respond to his client's traffic cases, which resulted in delayed resolution, according to Estell's petition.
In a previous discipline, Estell was admonished in March 2009 by a state high court grievance committee for failing to timely respond to two complaints.