Latest news with #RulesofProfessionalConduct
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida Bar dismisses complaints against Miami mayor, former city attorney
The Florida Bar has dismissed a pair of complaints that former City Commissioner Ken Russell filed against Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and former City Attorney Victoria Méndez accusing them of 'misconduct' relating to legislation that the city passed in 2022 finalizing the billion-dollar Miami Freedom Park soccer stadium deal. The crux of Russell's complaints involved a piece of legislation the mayor signed in 2022 after the City Commission voted to award a 99-year lease to David Beckham and businessmen Jorge and Jose Mas to develop Miami Freedom Park on the site of the former Melreese golf course. The stadium will become the home of the Inter Miami team. The deal needed four-fifths approval from the City Commission, and Russell agreed to be the swing vote after his colleagues agreed to an amendment requiring half of the $20 million parks contribution from the Miami Freedom Park developers to be spent on parks throughout the city. The other half was to be spent on a 58-acre public park attached to the stadium site. But the legislation that Suarez signed finalizing the commission vote did not include Russell's amendment. Méndez was the city attorney at the time of the 2022 vote. The City Attorney's Office oversees City Commission legislation. The discrepancy came to a head last month when Suarez announced a proposal to ensure the entire $20 million parks contribution could be spent exclusively on the park attached to the stadium site. Russell filed the complaints against Suarez and Méndez, who are both practicing lawyers, on Feb. 25. Nine days later, on March 6, an attorney for the Florida Bar wrote in letters addressed to Russell that the issues raised 'are political questions beyond The Florida Bar's jurisdiction and therefore not reviewable by the bar.' 'Appropriate remedies, if any, can be sought through the political process and/or the courts,' the letters stated. The Bar attorney added that the contents of Russell's complaints 'do not constitute violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct, and accordingly, your inquiry does not fall within the purview of the grievance system framework.' On Tuesday, Russell filed official paperwork to run for mayor of Miami in the 2025 election. In a statement posted to Instagram on Wednesday, Suarez — who will leave office later this year because of term limits — took aim at Russell's candidacy. 'As I predicted,' Suarez said, 'the Florida Bar dismissed the complaint almost as fast as Ken Russell could file to run for his next failed office.' Reached by the Miami Herald, Suarez declined to comment beyond his public post. In a statement, Méndez said: 'I obviously concur with the Florida Bar's finding that no violation of the Florida Rules of Professional conduct took place, and I am pleased with the result.' Russell said in a statement that through its dismissal, the Florida Bar 'has decided that a lawyer preparing a misrepresentative legal document for another lawyer who signs that misrepresentative document is a political issue outside their purview. As usual, there is no accountability for unethical behavior in the City of Miami.' 'The greatest shame is that the Mayor's actions have defunded over 100 acres of desperately needed new park space in the city,' Russell added. 'This was no accident or oversight and it is inexcusable. Whether this decision was legal or political, it's wrong. I won't stop until those parks are properly funded and built.'
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Yahoo
Second New Mexico defense attorney implicated in DWI scheme
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A second New Mexico defense attorney has been publicly identified and accused of taking part in a scheme to get accused drunk drivers off the hook. A New Mexico board that disciplines attorneys said Rudolph 'Rudy' Chavez was part of a public corruption scandal that dates back to 1995. According to state law, an attorney's law license may be suspended when the disciplinary counsel is investigating that attorney for an alleged violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct. On March 6, the state's chief disciplinary counsel filed a petition for summary suspension saying Rudy Chavez is under investigation, so it wants the NM Supreme Court to suspend him. In the document, the Disciplinary Board claimed Chavez worked with former Albuquerque Police officer Honorio Alba, Jr. and paralegal Ricardo 'Rick' Mendez to get an accused drunk driver's case dismissed. Story continues below Video: Wrong way high-speed chase on I-25 in Albuquerque ends in arrest Environment: ABQ BioPark moves some birds indoors to protect them from avian flu Real Estate: Private lake retreat listed for $3.1 million in Santa Rosa Both Alba and Mendez admitted in plea agreements that they worked with an unnamed Albuquerque criminal defense attorney, who the state's chief disciplinary counsel recently identified as Chavez, to get the case dismissed. KRQE Investigates obtained video from the DWI case in question, where Alba conducted a DWI stop on a Sunday night in April 2023. In the video, Alba is seen conducting a field sobriety test on a driver he pulled over on I-25 north near the Jefferson exit. Alba claimed the driver swerved in and out of lanes and almost hit other cars while traveling 90 miles per hour. Alba then arrested the driver, who later blew a 0.14 and 0.15 on the alcohol breath test, nearly twice the legal limit. At that time, the driver already had two DWI convictions on his record. From that arrest, he was facing a 3rd DWI offense, along with reckless driving, no proof of insurance, and possession of open container charges. According to the petition submitted to the New Mexico Supreme Court, the driver then hired defense attorney Rudy Chavez to represent him in the case—a move that caught the attention of federal investigators. The driver told KRQE Investigative Reporter Ann Pierret that he found Chavez from a Google search. He reiterated several times that Chavez didn't make any promises, or do anything that raised red flags, or would make him question the attorney's integrity. The driver told KRQE Investigates that he paid Chavez $8,000 to represent him, which he claimed was lower than other attorneys he spoke with. The driver added that Chavez told him the price was that high because it was his third DWI. The driver's case was dismissed in January 2024, and according to court documents, the decision was 'in the interest of justice.' The driver explained to KRQE Investigates that he had his suit on and was ready to go to his court hearing when Chavez told him the news of his case getting dismissed. The driver said he thought he was just lucky, until the FBI called him last year. He said he told investigators that he didn't know anything about a scheme. The federal investigation had shown some clients were left in the dark, but KRQE Investigates learned one way Alba carried out the scheme was by taking their driver's license and/or email and giving those items to Mendez. Mendez, who worked with Defense Attorney Thomas Clear III, would later contact the driver and in exchange for payment, help get their case dismissed by making sure officers missed their court appearances. In this case, the driver said Alba took both his license and email, but he said he never heard from Clear's law office. The petition for summary suspension submitted to the New Mexico Supreme Court requests that Chavez be suspended from practicing law. KRQE Investigates called and emailed attorney Chavez for a comment on the petition and did not hear back. The court previously revoked Clear's law license for being the 'mastermind' of the DWI dismissal scheme. In February, Clear took a plea deal, admitting that he worked with DWI officers from around the metro to funnel drunk drivers to his office and convince them to pay him thousands of dollars to get them off the hook. While looking through court records, KRQE Investigates noticed Chavez took over a number of Clear's cases after the feds raided Clear's law office in January 2024. The two also worked on several cases together going back to June 2006. The State Bar of New Mexico shows Chavez joined in 1981 and practices in Bernalillo, Sandoval, and Taos counties. Chavez's website mentioned The National Advocacy for DUI Defense, LLC recognized him as one of the 'Top 50 DWI Attorneys' in New Mexico. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
07-03-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Senate Democrats file complaint against DC US attorney Ed Martin
Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have filed a formal complaint against D.C. U.S. attorney Ed Martin with the District of Columbia's Office of Disciplinary Counsel, accusing him of dismissing criminal charges against his own clients and threatening prosecution against government employees to intimidate them. 'We write to express our grave concern about actions taken by Edward Robert Martin, Jr. that may constitute professional misconduct under the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct,' wrote Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The letter, signed by all ten Democrats on the Judiciary panel, asks for the disciplinary counsel, which is overseen by the D.C. Court of Appeals to investigate whether Martin, a member of the D.C. Bar, violated rules of professional conduct. 'When a government lawyer, particularly one entrusted with a leadership role in the nation's foremost law enforcement agency, commits serious violations of professional conduct, it undermines the integrity of our justice system and erodes public confidence in it,' they wrote. Specifically, the lawmakers say that Martin while in private practice served as defense counsel in several cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, before personally submitting a motion to dismiss felony and misdemeanor counts against Joseph Padilla and failing to recuse himself from the case as acting U.S. attorney creating 'an impermissible conflict of interest and the appearance of impropriety by using his new government office to favor his client.' They say Martin also appeared as defense counsel for another Jan. 6 defendant, William Chrestman, a member of the Proud Boys' Kansas City chapter, who was sentenced to four and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to obstruction of an official proceeding and threatening a federal officer. Democrats say Martin only moved to withdraw his representation of Chrestman after initiating an internal review of the charges against his client, creating 'an appearance of impropriety.' Senate Democrats say there is also evidence that Martin communicated directly with Jan. 6 defendants who were not his clients after his appointment as interim U.S. attorney, including William Pope, who was charged with a felony and four misdemeanors related to the attack on the Capitol. They say that if Martin communicated directly with Pope, he 'created the appearance of impropriety because he may be called as a witness for the defendant in a matter involving the office he currently leads.' They argue that Martin has violated the D.C. Bar's prohibition on representing a client if the client may be adversely affected by the lawyer's responsibilities to or interests in a third party. 'Under this rule, Mr. Martin cannot effectively represent the United States in taking any investigative or prosecutorial steps against Mr. Padilla, including steps favorable to Mr. Padilla, in the same matter in which he defended and still represented Mr. Padilla,' they wrote. They say that Martin potentially violated the prohibition of any conduct that interferes with the administration of justice and that his representation of Padilla and Chrestman 'creates an appearance of impropriety in any review or prosecutorial steps related to his office's handling of obstruction charges against Jan. 6 defendants. And his alleged communications with Pope likely prohibits an attorney's involvement in a case in which they are likely to be a necessary witness, they argued. In addition, Democratic senators are raising alarm over what they say are the 'numerous extrajudicial statements' Martin has made threatening prosecution 'with the apparent intent of intimidating government employees and chilling the speech of private citizens.' They cite a Feb. 3 tweet and letter to Elon Musk, the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, threatening to 'pursue any and all legal action against anyone who impedes your work or threatens your people.' They also point to a Feb. 14 tweet threatening former special counsel Jack Smith, who handled two criminal cases against President Trump before he won the 2024 election. And they note a Feb. 19 announcement that the U.S. attorney's office would investigate and prosecute alleged threats to government officials, including Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) because of his March 2020 statement at a rally in front of the Supreme Court that conservative Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh would 'pay the price' for voting against abortion rights. Martin has since dropped plans to investigate Schumer after concluding that his statements did not present a 'true threat' that could be prosecuted. 'Mr. Martin's conduct not only speaks to his fitness as a lawyer; his activities are part of a broader course of conduct by President Trump and his allies to undermine the traditional independence of Department of Justice Investigations and prosecutions and the rule of law,' the Democrats wrote. They asked Office of Disciplinary Counsel to initiate an investigation and take 'appropriate disciplinary proceedings,' and would appreciate 'prompt attention to this sensitive matter.'
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Yahoo
Georgia Supreme Court suspends law license of Columbus Attorney Chris Breault
COLUMBUS, Ga. () — The Georgia Supreme Court has suspended the law license of a Columbus attorney for his actions in a 2017 case in U.S. District Court, Southern Division. The court asserted that Chris Breault acted improperly and against Georgia Bar Association Rules of Professional Conduct and suspended his license for six months beginning March 4. Here is the March 4, 2025, order from the state Supreme Court. This matter has been under investigation by Special Masters assigned by the Georgia Bar Association for more than five years. Late last year, the Special Master assigned to the case recommended a one-month suspension. The Supreme Court rejected that and asked for additional information. The Supreme Court said the Special Master 'failed to adequately analyze Breault's conduct under the framework found in the American Bar Association Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanctions.' Breault was accused of violating a rule that prohibited making public privileged information. The new Special Master recommended a one-year suspension, but the final decision rested with the state's highest court, which went with six months. Breault, a high-profile civil litigation lawyer, has to cease practice during the suspension. In late November, Breault was the lead attorney in a case that received a $42 million jury award in Muscogee County Superior Court. His client was severely injured in a motorcycle crash at Warm Springs and Miller roads. Breault sent the following statement when WRBL contacted him about the suspension: 'I have never once in my entire career been in trouble with the State Bar of Georgia. If you look at my record since I finished law school at the University of Georgia in 2012, twelve (12) years ago, I have zero Bar complaints or Bar discipline. It is odd that it is 2025, weeks after I get a $42 million jury verdict–the largest jury verdict in Georgia history in a motorcycle wreck–and I'm being said to have violated Bar rules from a case in 2017. I did excellent work for this client and because of my work, the client became a millionaire. This all took place back in June of 2017, one month before trial. I was hired by the client's original lawyer to come and try the case in court as lead trial counsel. The client in the case was rear-ended by a tractor trailer and sent off a large bridge, falling nearly 200 feet. I came onto the case, proved he had a brain injury, and then the case settled for seven-figures and the client was really happy. Because of my work, the client took home more than double what they were going to get from the other lawyers they had had for 2 years before me. I stand by my work in this case. I'm the first lawyer in Georgia history that they've ever accused of breaking these rules like this. I was part of a team of four (4) lawyers and I'm the only one they say violated some rule. For years, they wanted me to take some slap-on-the-wrist penalty as long as I admitted I did something wrong. I refused, because I stand by my work. I'm sorry that in order to get outstanding results, you have to do things differently than your average Joe Schmoe lawyer out there. It means that you are creative and think outside the box. It doesn't mean you 'broke the rules.' After reading the Supreme Court's order on this matter, it clear that whoever wrote it—sometimes it's a clerk or an assistant—does not have or understand all the facts. I plan to submit a motion for reconsideration to the court in ten (10) days to have them review it. As stated by Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., 'the arc of the moral universe is long, and it bends towards Justice.' If you are willing to work and seize the opportunities that God provides, then God will take care of you. That has been my experience and I expect that to come in the future.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Diddy's Lawyers Claim Tony Buzbee Improperly Filed 22 Lawsuits Against Him
Diddy's legal team is staying on the offensive and has begun taking aim at Tony Buzbee. USA Today reports that Sean Combs' defense team filed a motion on Tuesday (Feb. 25) in response to Buzbee's attempt to represent a potential client in the Southern District of New York, even though he has been barred from practicing in the area. Buzbee has all but declared war on Puffy, as the Houston-based lawyer has been behind numerous lawsuits from various unnamed alleged victims. Some of his clients' suits were announced through flashy press conferences, where they flung accusations at Diddy of sexually assaulting and trafficking them. The Bad Boy founder's team brought up these 'egregious' tactics and labeled them as 'misconduct' for his 'pro hac vice admission'—practicing in an area that the lawyer isn't licensed to do so. Combs' attorneys argue that Buzbee failed to disclose he hadn't received permission to rep his slew of clients. The filing also mentioned the October 2024 suit from Buzbee, which accused JAY-Z and Diddy of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000, that was recently dismissed. Additionally, Combs' lawyers claimed that Tony Buzbee hadn't even tried to seek out the judge's approval in these cases while claiming that he broke New York's Rules of Professional Conduct by asserting that the embattled mogul was guilty of the crimes without a fair trial. 'In our collective decades of practice, undersigned counsel have never opposed a pro hac vice application, and we do not do so lightly here,' the filing reads. 'But Buzbee's egregious misconduct warrants denial of the privilege of appearing in this district.' 'For nearly five months, Buzbee has filed case after case in this district against (Combs) in the name of anonymous plaintiffs without seeking admission of any kind and without disclosing his lack of admission,' the filing adds. Combs currently remains behind bars in Brooklyn, where he will stay until his trial on May 5, 2025. More from A$AP Rocky's Lawyer Explains Why He Turned Down Representing Diddy In Court Lawyer Behind JAY-Z Lawsuit Denied Ability To Practice Law In Southern New York Ye Questions If Cassie "Extorted" Diddy, Social Media Reacts
