6 Lawyers Disciplined By Florida Supreme Court
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| Florida Courtroom. Credit: U.S. General Services Administration |
The Florida Supreme Court in recent court orders disciplined six attorneys, disbarring one, suspending three, emergency suspending one, and revoking the license of one.
Johnny Euell DuBose, Jr., 1432 Newbridge Lane, Orlando, disciplinary revocation without leave to seek readmission effectively immediately following a September 5 order. (Admitted to practice: 1988) While DuBose was ineligible to practice law, he failed to submit quarterly reports during his period of employment with the Office of the State Attorney as required by the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar.
Christopher Whittington Dudley, 598 Trelago Way, Apt. 303, Maitland, suspended for 90 days followed by a three-year probation immediately following a September 12 order. (Admitted to practice: 2021) Dudley was arrested after he entered the victim’s backyard and then attempted to gain entry to the residence. Dudley “was under the influence of alcohol and intoxicated to a point [that] he did not know where he was or apparently what he was doing.” He entered a plea of nolo contendere to the charges of Attempted Burglary of an Occupied Dwelling, a third-degree felony, and Criminal Mischief (above $200 but below $1,000), a first-degree misdemeanor. The court withheld adjudication of guilt as to all counts and sentenced respondent to two years of conditional probation as to the felony count and to credit for time served as to the misdemeanor count.
Natalie Renee Jones, 2121 S. Hiawassee Rd., Apt. 4614, Orlando, emergency suspended immediately as of a September. 16 order. (Admitted to practice: 1994) Jones has caused, or is likely to cause, immediate and serious harm to clients or the public by misappropriating client funds and committing fundamental trust account violations. Jones shall accept no new clients from the date of a court order, issued on September 16, 2024, and shall cease representing any clients after 30 days of the court’s order.
Preston Hall Oughton, 301 W. Bay St., Suite 1424, Jacksonville, suspended for 91 days and ordered to attend Ethics School, effective immediately following a September 16 order. (Admitted to practice: 2008) Oughton engaged in three separate acts of misconduct involving three different clients. In the first matter, he took no steps to move the client’s legal matter forward despite a five-year long representation. In the second matter, he pursued a cause of action with no possible chance of a favorable result and charged unnecessary fees. In the third matter, he failed to provide competent representation and charged excessive fees.
Andrew Edward Russ, P.O. Box 520, Pickerington, OH, disbarred effective October 3 following a September 3 order. (Admitted to practice: 2003) This is a reciprocal case based on an order from the Supreme Court of Ohio. In count one, Russ was appointed to represent the mother in a dependency case. He began sending her sexual solicitous text messages throughout the representation. Russ denied the messages until he was confronted with copies of the text messages during the disciplinary investigation. In count two, Russ stipulated to both being tardy for periods of 15 to 60 minutes to six hearings and failing to appear to four hearings and did not offer any valid excuse for this conduct.
Eric Satin, 806 Opus Way, Montvale, NJ, suspended for three years nunc pro tunc to January 19, 2024, following a September 3 order. (Admitted to practice: 2009). Satin was charged with felony Burglary of an Unoccupied Dwelling and misdemeanor Criminal Mischief. The charges arose in the context of his dissolution of marriage action and were related thereto. Satin entered a plea and adjudication was withheld pursuant to the agreement.
