TALLAHASSEE (Florida Record) — Longtime Boynton Beach attorney Les Schneiderman faces indefinite suspension following a Nov. 13 Florida Supreme Court order for allegedly failing to respond to an official inquiry, according to a recent announcement by The Florida Bar.
"Schneiderman failed to respond to both an official Florida Bar inquiry and an order to show cause issued by the Florida Supreme Court," the state bar said in its Nov. 26 announcement of the discipline and the Supreme Court's order.
In its two-page order, the state Supreme Court approved the state bar's petition for contempt and order to show cause, and held Schneiderman in contempt. As a sanction, Schneiderman "shall remain suspended until further order of this court," the court's order said.
Schneiderman's suspension was effective 30 days from the date of the court's order to allow him time to close out his practice and protect his existing clients' interests, according to the high court's order. The court also ordered Schneiderman 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 Schneiderman's suspension.
Schneiderman was admitted to the bar in Florida on Oct. 3, 1991, according to his profile at the state bar website. No prior discipline before the state bar is listed on his bar profile.
The state bar's petition followed a grievance committee finding in December 2018 that Schneiderman failed to respond to an official inquiry.
The state bar began its efforts to reach Schneiderman the previous September. Those efforts included calls to his office phone number, which received a message that indicated it was not a working number, according to the grievance committee's findings, which were included in the state bar's petition.
The grievance committee found Schneiderman in contempt in January.
The Supreme Court's order, the state bar's petition, the grievance committee's findings and other supporting documents do not provide details about allegations against Schneiderman.