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635 So. 2d 13

635 So.2d 13

19 Fla.L.WeeklySupp. 185

Docket No. 82717.

The Florida Bar v. Brown

THE FLORIDA BAR, Complainant, v. James A. BROWN, Respondent.

Supreme Court of Florida

Decided April 14, 1994.

Supreme Court of Florida · decided 1994-04-14

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

“[c]lear violation of any order or disciplinary status that denies an attorney the license to practice law generally is punishable by disbarment, absent strong extenuating factors”

quoted by 3 later decisions, including 946 So. 2d 977 - The Florida Bar v. D'AMBROSIO, The Florida Bar v. Weisser

Relies on 571 So. 2d 426 - The Florida Bar v. Jones · The Florida Bar v. Winter

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1994-04-14

How this case has been cited

Cited by 8 later decisions — most recently September 2018

8 state decisions

30199420002010decided

Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

¶1Lorraine C. Hoffmann, Bar Counsel, Fort Lauderdale, for complainant.

¶2James A. Brown, pro se, respondent.

¶3PER CURIAM.

¶4We have for review the complaint of The Florida Bar asking that we hold James A. Brown in contempt for violating the terms of his disciplinary resignation. We have jurisdiction. Art. V, § 15, Fla. Const.

¶5On September 9, 1993, this Court granted respondent's petition for disciplinary resignation nunc pro tune to November 25, 1992. On this earlier date, we had granted The Florida Bar's petition that Brown be placed under emergency suspension for alleged ethical violations.

¶6The Florida Bar now presents evidence to this Court that Brown has continued to practice law after his disciplinary resignation, in violation of this Court's order granting his petition to resign. Brown has refused to accept service in the present action and has not responded to the Bar's complaint. We therefore accept the allegations made by the Bar as true.

¶7Clear violation of any order or disciplinary status that denies an attorney the license to practice law generally is punishable by disbarment, absent strong extenuating *14 factors. The Florida Bar v. Jones,571 So.2d 426 (Fla. 1990); The Florida Bar v. Winter,549 So.2d 188 (Fla. 1989). We agree with the Bar that disbarment is warranted here.

¶8Accordingly, we hold Brown in contempt of Court and disbar him for a period of six years, nunc pro tune to November 25, 1992. Brown is hereby ordered not to engage in the practice of law either directly or indirectly for so long as his disbarment continues and thereafter until such time as he may be readmitted to the Bar, upon penalty of fine, imprisonment, or both. Judgment for costs in the amount of $744.85 is hereby awarded against Brown and in favor of The Florida Bar, for which sum let execution issue.

¶9It is so ordered.

¶10BARKETT, C.J., and OVERTON, McDONALD, SHAW, GRIMES, KOGAN and HARDING, JJ., concur.

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