The Florida Supreme Court in recent court orders suspended seven attorneys, reprimanded five others, accepted the resignation of three, and disbarred three, including Pat Morris Fowler of Orange Park.
The following lawyers are disciplined (Court orders are not final until time expires to file a rehearing motion and, if filed, determined. The filing of such a motion does not alter the effective date of the discipline):
• William Abramson, West Palm Beach, reprimanded for professional misconduct following an Aug. 29 court order. Abramson failed to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client and knowingly disobeyed an obligation under the rules of a tribunal.
• Joseph Bernard Allen III, Key West, suspended from practicing law in Florida for 10 days, effective 30 days following a Sept. 5 court order. While serving as the attorney for an estate, Allen failed to record the deed and issue the title insurance policy as he agreed to do after real property from the estate was purchased. Allen also failed to respond to Bar inquiries into his conduct.
• Alberto Victor Batista, Miami, reprimanded for professional misconduct following an Aug. 29 court order. Batista wrote a letter to a judge including statements that he either knew to be false or made with reckless disregard as to their truth or falsity.
• Gregg Matthew Bieber, Oakland Park, resigned in lieu of disciplinary proceedings, with leave to seek readmission after five years, effective 30 days following an Aug. 29 court order. Bieber allegedly neglected clients.
• Leonard Mark Dachs, Miami, disbarred from practicing law in Florida, effective immediately following a Sept. 12 court order. In July 2000, Dachs plead guilty to one felony count of obstruction of justice. Dachs knowingly and willfully received approximately $1.8 million in proceeds obtained by the distribution of controlled substances, knowing that such funds represented property subject to a protective court order.
• Susan Lynn Eberle, Orlando, suspended from practicing law in Florida for 10 days, effective 30 days following a Sept. 12 court order. Eberle is further placed on probation for one year. Eberle failed to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client and failed to keep the client reasonably informed about the status of a matter.
• Fred Herbert Flowers, Tallahassee, suspended from practicing law in Florida for 20 days, effective 30 days following an Aug. 29 court order. Flowers entered into a verbal agreement with a non-lawyer, whereby the non-lawyer would procure clients for him. Flowers gave the non-lawyer various sums of money at various times for client referrals.
• Pat Morris Fowler, 155 Blanding Blvd., Ste. 5, Orange Park, disbarred from practicing law in Florida, effective immediately following an Aug. 29 court order. An audit of Fowler’s trust account revealed that he took money from the account on a regular basis for his personal use and law firm operation. The audit also revealed that Fowler had not maintained the required trust accounting records and had taken funds from an estate without obtaining an order approving such disbursements.
• Bruce Lee Hollander, Hollywood, suspended from practicing law in Florida, effective 60 days following a Sept. 18 court order. On Nov. 20, 2001, Hollander was convicted of one count of conspiracy, five counts of wire fraud, six counts of making false statements, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. In April 2002, he was sentenced to 51 months imprisonment.
• David Lee Jones, Clearwater, reprimanded for professional misconduct following a Sept. 12 court order. Jones failed to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client, to keep a client reasonably informed about the status of a matter and promptly comply with reasonable requests for information, and to promptly deliver to the client any funds or other property that the client was entitled to receive. Jones also charged an illegal, prohibited, or clearly excessive fee.
• Gale Dustin Lucy, Miami, suspended from practicing law in Florida for two years, effective immediately following a Sept. 5 court order. Lucy violated rules of professional conduct and rules regulating trust accounts during her representation of an estate case. Among her several rule violations, Lucy used estate funds to satisfy personal and business obligation unrelated to the estate.
• Richard Ignacio Martinez, Miami, disbarred from practicing law in Florida, effective immediately following a Sept. 12 court order. Martinez knowingly and willfully received, without the prior approval of the United States District Court, for the Southern District of Florida, approximately $1 million in proceeds obtained from the distribution of controlled substances, knowing that such funds represented property subject to a protective court order.
• Lavenia Dianne Mason, Miami, suspended from practicing law in Florida for two years and thereafter until she proves rehabilitation, effective retroactive to April 13, following an Aug. 29 court order. The Aug. 29 opinion is substituted in lieu of a March 14 opinion filed in this case. Shortages found in her trust account were the result of intentional misconduct by Mason. Transfers from the trust account were made to cover shortages in Mason’s operating account.
• Marie A. Mattox, Tallahassee, reprimanded for professional misconduct following an Aug. 29 court order. Mattox violated rules regulating The Florida Bar through the acts of her law firm’s equal shareholder. Mattox failed to take reasonable remedial action at a time when she knew of her partner’s misconduct and failed to promptly inform The Florida Bar that her partner had violated rules regulating trust accounting.
• Russell A. Meade, Lake Lure, N.C., resigned in lieu of disciplinary proceedings, with leave to seek readmission after three years, effective 30 days following a Sept. 5 court order. Meade allegedly charged a clearly excessive fee, failed to provide competent representation to a client, and failed to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client.
• Harvey Paul Muslin, Tampa, suspended from practicing law in Florida for 30 days, effective 30 days following a Sept. 12 court order. Muslin knowingly made a false statement of material fact or law to a tribunal.
• Spencer Bryant Siegel, Boca Raton, reprimanded for professional misconduct following a Sept. 19 court order. Siegel questioned a juror about deliberations and how the verdict was reached after a trial concluded. He arranged for an investigator to meet with, and take, a statement from the juror in April 2000. Siegel failed to file a motion to interview the juror until after the statement was taken.
• Lorenzo Vieito III, Coral Gables, resigned in lieu of disciplinary proceedings, with leave to seek readmission after five years, effective immediately following a Sept. 5 court order. Vieito allegedly accepted a legal fee for representation in bankruptcy matters and failed to complete those matters.