The Florida Supreme Court disciplined 18 attorneys (none from Jacksonville), disbarring five, suspending 10 and publicly reprimanding three.
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.
Disbarred lawyers may not re-apply for admission for five years. They are required to go through an extensive process that rejects many who apply. It includes a rigorous background check and retaking the bar exam.
•?Matthew Shane Eng-lett, Orlando, to receive a public reprimand administered by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar and to attend ethics school. Due to the growth of his law firm during the home mortgage crisis, much of the communication between clients and the firm was handled by non-attorney staff. Numerous clients found it difficult to speak with an attorney directly about their matters and they sometimes found it difficult to obtain timely, accurate information. Englett and his law partners also inappropriately shared fees with non-lawyer employees in the intake department.
• Ronald Lamont Hardin, Zephyrhills, suspended until further order. According to a petition for emergency suspension, Hardin appeared to be causing great public harm by misappropriating client trust funds.
• Nancy Carol Holliday-Fields, Homosassa Springs, suspended until further order. According to a petition for emergency suspension, Holliday-Fields appeared to be causing great public harm. A Bar investigation found she had abandoned multiple clients, taking with her their files and all relevant data to prosecute their cases.
• John William Kaklis, Bradenton, suspended for one year. Kaklis failed to answer a Bar complaint filed with the Supreme Court. He was subsequently found guilty of violating rules regarding diligence, communication, trust accounts and trust accounting records and procedures. Kaklis failed to appear at a June 16 sanctions hearing involving these matters.
• Jeffrey S. Kaufman Jr., Orlando, to receive a public reprimand administered by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar and to attend ethics school. Due to the growth of his law firm during the home mortgage crisis, much of the communication between clients and the firm was handled by non-attorney staff. Numerous clients found it difficult to speak with an attorney directly about their matters and they sometimes found it difficult to obtain timely, accurate information. Kaufman and his law partners also inappropriately shared fees with non-lawyer employees in the
intake department.
• Julie Kronhaus, Winter Park, disbarred. Kronhaus was the subject of several Florida Bar disciplinary matters. Checks issued by Kronhaus to the beneficiaries of an estate were dishonored by the bank because she had insufficient funds in her trust account.
•?Neal R. Lewis, Miami, suspended until further order. According to a petition for emergency suspension, The Florida Bar’s staff order provided an affidavit establishing that Lewis was causing great public harm by misappropriating client trust funds.
• Ometrias Deon Long, Winter Park, disbarred effective immediately. Long failed to abide by his agreement to make a series of payments totaling $17,000 after being sued in a civil lawsuit. In another matter, Long was wired $150,000 to hold in trust for a client’s future business transaction. The next day, Long transferred most of the money to the client’s business associate without authorization or consent. Long subsequently failed to disburse the funds to the client or provide an accounting despite his repeated requests.
• Corinda Lynn Luchetta, St. Petersburg, suspended for one year. Luchetta was found in contempt for violating the terms of her Feb. 21 suspension order. She was required to submit a sworn affidavit to the Bar within 30 days of her suspension, listing the names and addresses of all persons and entities that received a copy of her suspension order.
• Craig Ronald Lynd, Orlando, to receive a public reprimand administered by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar and to attend ethics school. Due to the growth of his law firm during the home mortgage crisis, much of the communication between clients and the firm was handled by non-attorney staff. Numerous clients found it difficult to speak with an attorney directly about their matters and they sometimes found it difficult to obtain timely, accurate information. Lynd and his law partners also inappropriately shared fees with their non-lawyer employees in the intake department.
• Holly Ann Mantle, Vero Beach, disbarred. A Bar audit revealed that starting in January 2013, Mantle transferred approximately $25,000 of client funds for her firm or her own use.
• Robert A. Mogle, Davie, suspended until further order. Mogle was found in contempt for failure to respond to official Bar inquiries in two separate matters. Mogle also relocated his office without informing the Bar.
• Erin Ray Morgan, Douglas, Ga., permanently disbarred. Morgan was found in contempt for failure to comply with a June 27, 2013, disbarment order. Despite being disbarred, she continued to practice law.
• Alexis Michelle Rabbani, Aventura, suspended until further order. Rabbani was found in contempt for failure to respond to an official Bar inquiry.
• Mark Dwayne Rodriguez, Inverness, disbarred effective immediately. Rodriguez was suspended until further order in April and found in contempt for failing to produce subpoenaed trust account records. Further, he never sought reinstatement from the suspension, but continued practicing law.
• Lance John Ruffe, Coral Gables, suspended for one year. Ruffe was found in contempt for failing to comply with the terms of a Nov. 21, 2013, suspension order. Ruffe was required to notify his clients, opposing counsel and tribunals of his suspension and provide to The Florida Bar, within 30 days of his suspension, a sworn affidavit listing the names and addresses of all persons and entities that received a copy of his suspension order.
• Steven E. Siff, Plantation, suspended for 18 months and placed on probation for two years. Siff failed to file income tax returns and failed to pay federal income taxes for approximately 10 years. He pleaded guilty in court to three misdemeanor counts of failure to file personal income tax returns in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Siff also agreed to pay restitution in the criminal case of more than $924,000.
• Charles Vaughn, Inverness, suspended for 91 days. In handling a dissolution of marriage proceeding, Vaughn failed to act diligently, failed to properly and adequately communicate with the client, and knowingly made misrepresentations to the client.