TALLAHASSEE — Gainesville attorney Beverly R. McCallum was suspended following a Dec. 16 Florida Supreme Court order over allegations she questioned the integrity of judges and other court officials, according to a recent announcement by The Florida Bar.
"In a series of letters, McCallum wrote to the chief judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit and general counsel and impugned the integrity of two sitting Fifth Judicial Circuit Court judges," the state bar said in its Dec. 27 announcement of the discipline and the Supreme Court's order. "Video recordings of the court proceedings referenced by McCallum did not support her accusations against the judges."
In its two-page order, the Supreme Court approved the findings of fact and recommendations as to guilt in the amended referee's report filed in the matter, but disapproved of the report's recommendation that McCallum receive a public reprimand and be ordered to attend ethics school. Instead, the high court suspended McCallum for 15 days and ordered her to pay a little more than $4,900.
McCallum's suspension had been set to be effective 30 days from the date of the court's order to allow her time to close out her practice and protect her existing clients' interests, according to the court's Dec. 16 order.
McCallum subsequently alerted the court that she is no longer practicing law and the court issued an order on Dec. 20, ordering the date of her suspension began on Dec. 16
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 McCallum's suspension.
McCallum was admitted to the bar in Florida on April 14, 2003, according to her profile at the state bar website. No prior discipline before the state bar is listed on McCallum's state bar profile.
Florida Supreme Court case number SC18-604