TALLAHASSEE — Suspended St. Augustine attorney John Richard Geiger was disbarred following a May 20 Florida Supreme Court order after the high court found him in contempt, according to a recent announcement by The Florida Bar.
"Geiger was held in contempt of the court's order (April 5, 2018) for failing to notify clients, opposing counsel and tribunals of his suspension," the state bar said in its May 30 announcement of the discipline and the Supreme Court's order.
In its two-page order, the Supreme Court disbarred Geiger for failing to respond to on order to show cause issued last spring. Because Geiger already was suspended, his disbarment was effective immediately, according to the order.
The state Supreme Court issued its two-page order of disciplinary revocation, tantamount to disbarment, with leave to seek readmission after five years.
The Supreme Court also ordered Geiger to pay $1,250 in costs.
Florida court orders are not final until time to file a rehearing motion expires. Filing such a motion does not alter the effective date of Geiger's disbarment.
Attorneys disbarred in Florida generally cannot reapply for admission for five years and must pass an extensive process that includes a rigorous background check and retaking the bar exam.
Geiger was admitted to the bar in Florida on April. 22, 1994, according to his profile on the state bar website.
Geiger's disciplinary history dates back to November 2015 when he received a 45-day suspension after he was found in contempt for failing to comply with the terms of a suspension order issued about a year earlier, according to information on his state bar profile.
Following that suspension, Geiger was placed on two years probation. That discipline stemmed from a complaint filed by a homeowners association for whom Geiger previously collected delinquent assessment though his representation had been terminated. Geiger subsequently repaid the amount and a state bar audit turned up no evidence of misappropriation, according to the consent judgment.
In June 2017, Geiger was suspended following a Supreme Court order after he was again found in contempt for failing to comply with the terms of a previously imposed suspension.