by Fred Seely
Editorial Director
You know Jim Watson’s dad, the longtime county agricultural agent with the same name.
You probably know his brother Lynn, too. He’s the mainstay here in the Tax Collector’s office.
But if you’re an attorney, you’d rather not known Jim. He’s The Florida Bar’s chief investigator for the North Florida region. If he’s in your office, chances are that you’ve got a problem.
“We handle the complaints and do the paperwork,” said Watson, sitting in his office in The Florida Bar’s Tallahassee headquarters. “Then we help the grievance commissions do their job.”
Watson, who grew up in Jacksonville’s Hyde Park area, has been with the Bar since 1984.
“I guess I followed my dad’s career of public service,” he said. “I worked in the State Attorney’s Office there, first under Don Nichols and then under Ed Austin, and this job seemed like a natural.”
He’s part of a team that handles attorney complaints throughout the state. His region stretches across the top of the state and he’s in Jacksonville at least twice a month to handle cases here.
The Bar has discretion in handling cases and Watson’s office can dismiss a complaint if no probable cause exists. They also can issue reprimands, or put down the hammer: call for a full investigation and an appearance before a grievance committee.
“It’s like a Grand Jury proceeding,” said Watson. “I’m there to advise. The committee is there to decide.”
There are four grievance committees operating here. Ideally, they have nine members, including six attorneys.
Watson is assisted here by two investigators — both retired FBI agents — who have taken complaints deemed potentially actionable and done the necessary fact-finding. Watson’s office then prepares a file.
“We review the case to determine if we should push it up the line,” said Watson. “About 25 percent of the cases end up with a grievance committee, so there are many who never get past staff level.”
The lesser offenses can result in a number of actions ranging from a nice “don’t do it again” letter to an “admonition” that puts the offense on the attorney’s record.
The committee also can recommend that the offender be placed in a diversion program, such as a trip to Ethics School. Attorneys have the right to appeal; most don’t.
If the committee feels that stronger measurers are needed, Watson files a formal complaint and the case is tried in a court proceeding. The judge usually is a Circuit Court judge from outside the attorney’s district — Jacksonville is in the 4th Circuit and generally uses judges from the 7th Circuit, which includes Daytona Beach.
It all means frequent trips back home for Watson to visit pals and family here.
“Being assigned to Jacksonville is a win-win,” he said. “I get to come home, and the bar doesn’t have to pay for a hotel room.”