TALLAHASSEE (Florida Record) — Tampa attorney Jeffrey Robert Thibault has been indefinitely suspended following an Aug. 2 Florida Supreme Court order after he allegedly failed to respond to disciplinary proceedings against him, according to a recent announcement by The Florida Bar.
"Thibault failed to respond to official bar inquiries and the bar filed a petition for contempt and request for order to show cause," the state bar said in its Aug. 29 announcement of the discipline and the Supreme Court's order. "The Florida Supreme Court issued an order to show cause and Thibault failed to respond."
In its two-page order, the Supreme Court approved the state bar's petition for contempt filed in the matter before holding Thibault in contempt and suspending him.
"[Thibault] shall remain suspended until he has fully responded in writing to the official bar inquiry, and until further order of this court," the order said.
Thibault's suspension was effective 30 days from the date of the court's order to allow him time to close his practice and protect his existing clients' interests, according to the high court's order. The court also ordered Thibault 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 Thibault's suspension.
Neither the Supreme Court's order nor the state bar's petition include why disciplinary proceedings were initiated against Thibault.
Thibault was admitted to the bar in Florida on March 18, 2011, according to his profile at the state bar website. No prior discipline before the state bar is listed on Thibault's profile.
The state bar issued its petition asking the Supreme Court to find Thibault in contempt after a grievance committee found that Thibault was in non-compliance and that he had failed to respond to an official state bar inquiry.
"As of the date of the service of this petition, [Thibault] has failed to respond to an official bar inquiry," the petition said.