The Florida Supreme Court in recent court orders suspended 10 attorneys, reprimanded five others and accepted the resignation of five. None were from Jacksonville. 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.
The following lawyers were disciplined:
• William D. Anderson Jr., Stuart, reprimanded for professional misconduct following an April 18 court order. Anderson violated several of the technical rules regulating trust accounts, including failure to properly maintain trust account ledger cards.
• Douglas G. Bevins, Trilby, suspended from practicing law in Florida for two years, effective immediately following a March 28 court order. Bevins is further placed on probation for three years. Bevins abandoned his law practice and left his clients’ legal matters unattended, causing prejudicial or potential harm to his clients. On March 14, 2000, Bevins served upon the Bar his Motion for Dissolution of Temporary Suspension. A hearing was set and notice of the hearing was served upon Bevins, who failed to appear for the hearing.
• Ronald George Caron, Saco, Maine, resigned in lieu of disciplinary proceedings, with leave to seek readmission after five years, effective immediately following an April 11 court order. In October 1999, Caron was convicted in U.S. District Court, District of Maine for one count of concealment of assets in a bankruptcy case.
• Robert Liddell Clark, Sarasota, suspended from practicing law in Florida for 45 days, effective 30 days following an April 4 court order. Clark 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 to respond to Bar inquiries into his conduct.
• Philip Winston Dann, St. Petersburg, suspended from practicing law in Florida for 91 days, effective 30 days following an April 18 court order. Dann violated several rules regulating The Florida Bar during his representation of a client suffering from dementia. Dann had himself made sole beneficiary of the client’s trust and had the client sign a letter authorizing Dann to pay himself, his wife and his teenage daughter $10,000 each on an annual basis.
• Kurt M. Frim, Boca Raton, suspended from practicing law in Florida until further court order, effective 30 days following an April 17 court order. An audit of Frim’s trust account indicated a shortage of $14,547.32.
• Anthony Meehan Genova, Miami Shores, resigned in lieu of disciplinary proceedings, with leave to seek readmission after five years, effective immediately following an April 11 court order. Genova pleaded guilty to two felony counts of an indictment charging him with six counts of bankruptcy fraud.
• Alan R. Hochman, Miami, suspended from practicing law in Florida for three years, effective retroactive to July 28, 1997, following an April 4 court order. In October 1999, Hochman pleaded no contest to two felony grand theft charges. The criminal charges were in relation to Hochman’s misappropriation of client trust funds.
• Norman Elliot Kent, Ft. Lauderdale, suspended from practicing law in Florida for 90 days, effective 30 days following a March 28 court order. A Bar compliance audit of Kent’s trust account revealed significant and multiple shortages in the account, which were caused by Kent’s constant and intentional commingling of earned fees with trust account funds. The audit also revealed the Kent did not meet the minimum requirements for trust accounting records.
• Jerrold Martin Levy, Boca Raton, resigned in lieu of disciplinary proceedings, without leave to seek readmission, effective immediately following an April 11 court order. Levy pleaded guilty to utilizing interstate commerce to persuade, induce or entice an individual under 18 years of age to engage in sexual activity, and transporting child pornography through interstate commerce via computer.
• Matthew Emmett McMillan, Bradenton, resigned in lieu of disciplinary proceedings, with leave to seek readmission after three years, effective 30 days following an April 11 court order. McMillan was removed from the bench by the Florida Supreme Court for alleged improprieties in his campaign for judicial office.
• Martin E. Powers, Miami, suspended from practicing law in Florida until further court ordered, effective 30 days following an April 8 court order. An auditor found that Powers misappropriated trust account funds.
• L. Byron Reid, Panama City, reprimanded for professional misconduct following a March 28 court order. Reid explained to a client that it would be the client’s responsibility to pay his attorney’s fees, but that he would try to have the other side pay the fees. Reid knew that there was no legal basis for the other side paying the fees. Reid did not explain to his client that he would personally be responsible for the fees if the other side failed to pay.
• Nashid Sabir, Miami, reprimanded for professional misconduct following a March 28 court order. While representing a client in an immigration matter, Sabir failed to act with reasonable diligence and promptness and to keep the client reasonably informed about the status of the matter. He also failed to respond in a timely manner to Bar inquiries into his conduct.
• Laurie Schrier, Boca Raton, reprimanded for professional misconduct following a March 14 court order. Schrier failed to properly communicate with a client regarding the status of a matter and to use diligence in representing her client’s best interests.
• Bradley Wolfe Schuler, Coral Springs, resigned in lieu of disciplinary proceedings, with leave to seek readmission after five years, effective 30 days following an April 11 court order. Schuler allegedly failed to comply with the terms of a mediation agreement and failed to comply with the terms of a diversion to the Bar’s Ethics School. Allegations against Schuler also include fraud in connection with certain loan transactions.
• Henry Bryant Sims, Palm Beach, suspended from practicing law in Florida for nine months, effective 30 days following a March 28 court order. Upon reinstatement, Sims is placed on probation for three years. Among his rule violations, Sims violated several rules regulating trust accounts.
• William Henry Stiles, Coral Gables, reprimanded for professional misconduct following a March 28 court order. Stiles employed a disbarred attorney and failed to timely and properly file affidavits required when employing a former attorney. The disbarred attorney also acted improperly when submitting papers in court on Stiles’ behalf.
• John Louis Walkden, Ft. Lauderdale, suspended from practicing law in Florida for 90 days, effective 30 days following an April 11 court order. Upon reinstatement, Walkden will be placed on probation for three years. In two separate matters, Walkden violated rules regulating trust accounts. In another matter, Walkden allowed his secretary to affix his client’s signature to a settlement release that the client refused to sign. He then allowed the release to be forwarded to the opposing party and failed to inform them that the signature was forged.
• Dale E. Workman, Gainesville, suspended from practicing law in Florida for 30 days, effective 30 days following an April 4 court order. In two unrelated instances, Workman pleaded guilty to charges of misdemeanor battery.