Attorney Misconduct Cases in Florida

In Florida Bar v. Lechtner, 666 So. 2d 892, 894 (Fla. 1996), the Court disbarred an attorney without leave to apply for readmission for ten years where the attorney had been convicted of racketeering, bribing judges, and four counts of mail fraud. In Florida Bar v. de la Puente, 658 So. 2d 65, 70 (Fla. 1995), the Court imposed a ten-year disbarment for misappropriation of client funds, forgery, misrepresentations to probate court, fabricating evidence pertinent to the disciplinary proceedings, and encouraging witnesses to lie. In Florida Bar v. Davis, 657 So. 2d 1135, 1137 (Fla. 1995), the Court disbarred a judge for ten years where the judge accepted bribes and committed other acts of misconduct. Finally, in Florida Bar v. Dykes, 513 So. 2d 1055, 1056 (Fla. 1987), the Court disbarred an attorney without leave to apply for readmission for ten years where the attorney (1) failed to notify a client of his six-month suspension; (2) acted as personal representative of an estate after being suspended; (3) communicated with a client about pending legal business during his suspension; (4) misappropriated estate funds with the intent to convert the funds to his own use; and (5) willfully disregarded a court order to turn over estate assets to a successor personal representative.