TALLAHASSEE — New Port Richey attorney Howard Hunter Ellzey Jr. has been publicly reprimanded and placed on probation following a Feb. 20 Florida Supreme Court order and his 2018 DUI arrest, according to a recent announcement by The Florida Bar.
"Ellzey was arrested for DUI and refusal to submit to testing," the state bar said in its Feb. 27 announcement of the discipline and the Supreme Court's order. "He was charged with felony driving under the influence of alcohol, his third offense within 10 years."
Ellzey pled guilty to misdemeanor charges of DUI and refusal to submit to testing, according to the state bar's announcement.
"Ellzey completed the terms of his criminal probation," the announcement said.
In its single-page order, the state Supreme Court approved the consent judgment reached between Ellzey and the state bar before reprimanding Ellzey. The consent judgment also includes Ellzey's conditional guilty plea.
The court also placed Ellzey on three years of conditional probation and ordered him to pay a little more than $1,265
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 Ellzey's reprimand and probation.
Ellzey was admitted to the bar in Florida on Dec. 13, 2007, according to his profile at the state bar website. No prior discipline before the state bar is listed on Ellzey's state bar profile.
Ellzey was arrested in May 2018 for DUI and refusal to submit to testing after his involvement in a single crash that witnesses said Ellzey "showed signs of impairment," the consent judgment said.
"[Ellzey] refused to complete testing or provide a breath sample," the consent judgment said.
The following June, Ellzey voluntarily entered a three-year monitoring contract with the state bar's lawyers assistance program, and has been in compliance with his contract since that time, the consent judgment said.
Ellzey entered his guilty plea in February of last year and he was placed on a year of probation, in addition being ordered to pay fines and costs. Ellzey also lost his driving privileges for five years and he was ordered to enroll in multiple offender DUI School, which included substance abuse evaluation and a victim impact education seminar.