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Summary: The Florida Supreme Court handed out their punishments to 22 lawyers, mostly for ignoring clients and/or the Florida Bar grievance process.
Twenty-two of Florida’s lawyers, eight of which come from Miami-Dade or Broward counties, received their punishments for violating state guidelines.
Cooper City
– Marcy Abitz of the University of Miami Law in 2002 will remain suspended for non-compliance and failure to respond in writing to official Florida Bar inquiries. She was already suspended for cashing an $8,961.35 check accidentally sent to her by an insurance company. Until she responds in writing, she will remain under suspension.
– Melissa Heaton of the University of Virginia School of Law in 2005 has been suspended since September of last year for contempt. She is also serving another suspension concurrently until January for not communication with a client after being ordered to do so.
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Coral Gables
– Chris Borgia of the University of Miami Law will be suspended until the end of January and then on probation for a year. He was hired to represent three clients for different disability cases but neglected the cases. He claims to have a “gastro intestinal illness” that sent him to the ER and urgent care facilities. He has been ordered to pay $6,598 to the clients in restitution.
Miami
– Gregg Lopez of St. Thomas University School of Law in 2000 has been suspended for refusing to comply with a subpoena for his trust accounting records. A grievance filed by Fabio Vazquez against Lopez resulted about a $159,244 payment to Jesus Gomez in 2010 from Vazquez’s money entrusted to Lopez. The bar also asked him about the $74,000 Vazquez gave to Lopez in 2011 but has since only seen $27,000 back. A $20,000 payment went to Csorias Management, a company that has dissolved where Lopez was a registered agent.
Plantation
– David Prince of the University of Miami School of Law in 1995 received an emergency suspension. The bar believes he is “causing a great public harm” for charging excessive fees, failing to represent clients, and abandoning his practice. There are over 50 open investigations into him.
Fort Lauderdale
– Peter Stamas of Nova Southeastern University in 2007 has been suspended until January. He lied to a Broward County Circuit Court during a misdemeanor petit theft case regarding an agreement with the State Attorney’s office. Had the lie been successful, the 18-year-old warrant against his client would have been dismissed.
Florida
– Robert Spallina of Loyola Marymount University Law School in 2000. Three matters are currently regarding Spallina. He plead guilty to securities fraud for engaging insider trading and adding a paragraph to a trust amendment after a client was dead in order to comply with the client’s wishes. He asked for disciplinary revocation, similar to disbarment. He can be reinstated in 2021.
– Lawrence Wrenn of the University of Miami School of Law in 1978 is using an address for a Pack and Ship Center mailbox. Not having a valid office violates Florida Bar rules. He has also been suspended since September for not responding in writing to a complaint. He was also given a contempt charge for not being straightforward with Honda when they tried to repossess his 2013 Honda CR-V that he owed $22,317 on.
Do you think some state bar rules are excessive or unnecessary? Tell us in the comments below.
To learn more about bad lawyers in Florida, read these articles:
- Florida Reprimands 16 Attorneys
- Florida Judge Convicted of DUI
- Once Famous Attorney Heading to Prison
Photo: letstalkdirtsc.com
