Florida Bar Disciplinary Defense Blog
Either the Bar or the respondent may file a petition for review of all or part of the referee’s report within 60 days of the date the referee’s report is filed. All referee reports in disciplinary cases are subject to review by the Florida Supreme Court.
After a formal complaint is filed, the Florida Supreme Court issues an order directing the chief judge of the applicable circuit to appoint a county or circuit judge to serve as the referee, or trial judge, in the case. The referee has 180 days from appointment to file his or her report with the Florida Supreme Court.
Local grievance committees are comprised of lawyers and non-lawyers whose primary purpose is to investigate allegations of lawyer misconduct. There are currently 81 local circuit grievance committees. Grievance committee members are appointed by the Board of Governors members for the various circuits.
Most complaints against Florida lawyers originate in the Attorney Consumer Assistance Program (“ACAP”). Established in 2001, ACAP was originally launched to process telephone inquiries from disgruntled parties with the goal of resolving minor disputes between clients and lawyers before they escalated into full-blown grievances.
Contact
Lanse Scriven
Not all attorneys have the objectivity or experience to effectively defend themselves against misconduct charges. Drawing from his vast knowledge of the disciplinary process, Lanse can help you effectively navigate through the disciplinary system.