Florida Supreme Court Disciplines Nine Lawyers for Ethical violations
TALLAHASSEE – the Florida Supreme Court recently issued disciplinary actions against nine lawyers across the state, ranging from suspensions to reprimands, for violations of ethical rules governing the legal profession. the actions, taken following investigations by The Florida Bar, underscore the court’s commitment to upholding standards of conduct and protecting the public.
These disciplinary measures address a range of misconduct, including inadequate representation, improper handling of client funds, failure to cooperate with investigations, and concealing prior disciplinary actions. The Florida Bar investigates complaints against attorneys and recommends discipline to the Supreme court, wich has the final say in all disciplinary matters.
Among those disciplined: Marie Powers,a Plantation lawyer,received a 20-day suspension for misrepresenting the scope of her representation in immigration proceedings at the Krome detention Centre,leading to a client’s deportation. Eduardo Rodriguez of Orlando was reprimanded and ordered to complete ethics training for permitting improperly notarized retainer and contingency fee contracts while serving as a supervising partner. Jennifer Anne Tanck, a St. Petersburg lawyer, was suspended for 30 days for failing to respond to a Florida Bar inquiry. Capp P. Taylor, a lawyer from Dandridge, Tennessee, was suspended from practicing in Florida for two years after a similar suspension in Tennessee, and for failing to disclose those suspensions to his Florida clients.
Additional disciplinary actions involved suspensions for other attorneys related to issues such as trust account violations and neglect of client matters. Details of each case are publicly available through The Florida Bar’s website: https://acis.flcourts.gov/portal/court/68f021c4-6a44-4735-9a76-5360b2e8af13.