The Florida Supreme Court in recent court orders suspended six attorneys, reprimanded two others, accepted the resignation of two and disbarred two. None were from Northeast Florida.
The following lawyers are disciplined (note that 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).
• Ann B. Bradshaw, Hollywood. Suspended from practicing law in Florida for 91 days, effective 30 days following a June 27 court order. In two unrelated matters, Bradshaw failed to provide competent representation to a client and to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client. In one matter, Bradshaw also knowingly disobeyed an obligation under the rules of a tribunal and engaged in conduct in connection with the practice of law that was prejudicial to the administration of justice.
• William Reid Clifton, Cocoa. Suspended from practicing law in Florida for 10 days, effective Dec. 21, following an Aug. 22 court order. Clifton failed to timely respond, in writing, to an official Bar inquiry into his conduct.
• Mark Charles Dabold, Orlando. Suspended from practicing law in Florida for 20 days, effective Oct. 1, following an Aug. 22 court order. Dabold failed to provide competent representation to a client, to act with reasonable diligence and promptness, to keep the client reasonably informed about the status of a matter, and to make reasonable efforts to expedite litigation consistent with the interests of the client.
• Peggy Lynne D’iorio, West Palm Beach. Suspended from practicing law in Florida until further court order, effective 30 days following an Aug. 22 court order. An audit of D’iorio’s trust account revealed that she willfully misappropriated client funds.
• Henry George Ferro, Ocala. Reprimanded for professional misconduct following an Aug. 22 court order. In two unrelated matters, Ferro failed to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client and to keep a client reasonable informed about the status of a matter. Ferro also failed to respond to an official Bar inquiry into his conduct.
• Melody Ridgley Fortunato, Ft. Lauderdale. Reprimanded for professional misconduct following an Aug. 22 court order. While Fortunato was serving a 90-day disciplinary suspension in 2001, she acted in a negligent manner by failing to submit a sworn information report for the quarter ending Sept. 30, 2001.
• Akhtar Hussain, Miami. Suspended from practicing law in Florida for 90 days, effective Oct. 1, following an Aug. 22 court order. In one matter, Hussain failed to provide competent representation to juvenile defendant by allowing the defendant to enter a plea agreement by mistake.
• Mark Thomas Juanico, Miami Shores. Suspended from practicing law in Florida until further court order, effective 30 days following two Aug. 2 court orders. In one case, Juanico failed to comply with a subpoena which required his appearance and production of trust account records. In the other case, an auditor found evidence that Juanico misappropriated client funds entrusted to him.
• Armando Oliveros Jr., Miami. Resigned in lieu of disciplinary proceedings, with leave to seek readmission after 10 years, effective retroactive to May 9, 2000, following a July 11 court order. A Florida Supreme Court order automatically suspended Oliveros from The Florida Bar. The order was issued after Oliveros was convicted of six counts of money laundering.
• William G. Povlitz, Naples. Resigned in lieu of disciplinary hearings, with leave to seek readmission after five years, effective retroactive to March 15, 2001, following a July 11 court order. Povlitz was adjudicated guilty of a first degree felony count of exploitation of the elderly on October 11, 2000.
• John Thomas Reading Jr., Gonzalez. Disbarred from practicing law in Florida, effective immediately following a July 11 court order. The Florida Supreme Court imposed disciplines of disbarment and suspension on Reading in two different cases, effective 30 days from Jan. 7, 1999. Reading filed a verified motion for rehearing in each of the cases on Jan. 21, 1999. The motions contained numerous misrepresentations of fact and were filed in a bad faith attempt to deceive.
• Robert L. Roth, Miami. Disbarred from practicing law in Florida, effective 30 days following a July 11 court order. Roth violated several rules regulating The Florida Bar during his representation of a client with severe depression. Roth’s actions of misconduct include taking possession of the client’s property, preparing an instrument giving himself a substantial gift from the client, failing to maintain a normal client-lawyer relationship with the impaired client by going to the client’s home armed with a gun and failing to hold the client’s property in trust, separate from his own property.