17 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 17 attorneys, disbarring one, revoking the license of four, suspending nine, and reprimanding three.
Claudia M. E. Atkinson, P.O. Box 1980, Ft. Myers, suspended from the practice of law for three years, a FLA, Inc., evaluation, and recommendation in support of reinstatement prior to petitioning; and payment of disciplinary costs, effective immediately following a January 9 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2012) Between August 2022 and November 2022, while employed at the Public Defender’s Office, Atkinson had ongoing work and behavioral issues that impacted her ability to practice. Atkinson failed to respond to Bar inquires during the investigation and failed to participate in the disciplinary proceedings.
Harold M. Bacchus, 1950 Lee Rd., Suite 100, Winter Park, public reprimand by publication and review by The Florida Bar’s Diversion/Discipline Consultation Service effective immediately following a January 2 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2009) While representing a client in a family law case, Bacchus failed to attend a hearing regarding lack of prosecution, failed to respond to the court’s order to show cause, and failed to appear for the subsequent hearing on the order to show cause. Bacchus did not formally withdraw from the case, and instead filed a Notice of Conclusion of Representation when the case had not concluded.
Debbie Rachelle Campbell, 420 S. Dixie Hwy, Suite 2B, Coral Gables, disbarred effective immediately following a January 13 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2012) Campbell was previously held in contempt and suspended for her failure to comply with a subpoena duces tecum for trust account records served by the Bar on Dec. 27, 2023. Campbell continued to engage in the practice of law while suspended.
David Michael Carnright, 33 Fonseca Ave., Coral Gables, disciplinary revocation with leave to seek readmission after five years effective immediately following a January 9 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2011) Carnright petitioned for disciplinary revocation following his felony suspension. The court granted the petition, effective immediately.
Sonya Charmaine Davis, 550 E. Davidson St., Bartow, disciplinary revocation without leave to apply for readmission, effective 30 days following a January 16 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2001) In one matter, after Davis failed to take action to expunge a client’s arrest record and criminal charges, the client’s father sued Davis in small claims court to recover the fee he paid. The small claims court entered an order finding that Davis had forged the signature of the representative of the State Attorney’s Office on the FDLE Application for Certification of Eligibility. In another matter, Davis failed to be diligent and failed to timely respond to reasonable requests for information from her client in a dissolution matter. In a third matter, Davis failed to appear for a case management conference and a final hearing, and she left a motion to withdraw pending for over a year without setting it for a hearing.
Eduardo Enrique Dieppa III, 6907 Broadway Ave., Jacksonville, suspended for 90 days effective immediately following a January 2 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2004) Complainant wired Dieppa’s real estate title agency monies for funding a commercial real estate transaction. Dieppa failed to supervise a non-lawyer who made misrepresentations to complainant about a wire transfer being made. The entirety of the amount initially wired to Dieppa was ultimately returned to the complainant.
John Parker Fenner, 302 Lakeside Ct., Sunrise, suspended for 90 days, effective 30 days following a January 16 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1988) Fenner represented the defendants in a civil matter. Prior to the trial in the civil case, Fenner was instructed by the judge not to bring up certain matters. However, despite the instructions, Fenner asked a question regarding those matters, which resulted in the judge declaring a mistrial and later entering a default against Fenner’s clients.
Charles David Franken, 112 Hazelwood Dr., Ponte Vedra, suspended for three years effective immediately following a January 2 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1976) Franken was charged with felony criminal conduct after he performed as the closing agent for a real estate transaction for which the buyer was later convicted of grand theft and filing false documents. Franken pled no contest to the misdemeanor charge of Petit Theft and was required to pay $10,000 in restitution.
Ryan Thomas Kraus, 8635 W. Hillsborough Ave., Suite 303, Tampa, held in contempt of court and suspended from the practice of law until Kraus has fully responded in writing to the official Bar inquiry and until further order of the court, effective 30 days following a January 13 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2017) Kraus failed to respond to an official Bar inquiry and the Bar filed a Petition for Contempt and Order to Show Cause with the Florida Supreme Court. The court issued an Order to Show Cause to which Kraus failed to respond.
Albert V. Medina, 6616 NW 43rd Terrace, Boca Raton, suspended for 10 days, with conditions, and payment of disciplinary costs effective February 10, 2025. (Admitted to practice: 2014) Medina entered a plea and adjudication of guilt to the offense of culpable negligence, causing personal injury to another (a misdemeanor) after accidentally shooting his brother with a firearm while both were engaged in horseplay.
Edwin Mills, P.O. Box 3044, Orlando, public reprimand, required to complete an office procedures and recordkeeping analysis by The Florida Bar’s Diversion/Discipline Consultation Service and to complete Ethics School, effective immediately following a January 16 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1984) Mills failed to respond to the Bar’s written investigative inquiries in a timely and adequate manner in three separate cases where his clients alleged he failed to communicate with them in a timely manner. Mills was court-appointed defense counsel for two of the clients, who were being prosecuted for alleged criminal offenses. The third was a former client who had been convicted of a crime 16 years prior and wanted a copy of his client file from Mills.
Thomas Grant Neusom, 4737 N. Ocean Dr., #129, Ft. Lauderdale, suspended for two years effective 30 days following a January 16 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2007) These cases arise from discipline imposed by the U.S. Middle District of Florida and the Bankruptcy Court. In the Middle District of Florida, Neusom attempted to remove a case from state to federal court on behalf of his client. The federal court found that Neusom filed numerous pleadings regarding the removal that failed to comply with procedural rules and lacked jurisdictional support. The court found that Neusom cited fabricated and inaccurate case law and misrepresented legal precedent. The court also noted Neusom’s unprofessional conduct toward opposing counsel. These actions led to a one-year suspension from the Middle District of Florida, and the court imposed six remedial conditions for reinstatement. In the bankruptcy matter, Neusom was sanctioned in 2018 due to misconduct related to his filing of an individual Chapter 11 petition on his client’s behalf that effectively stalled an eviction action against the client’s corporation. The court ruled Neusom knowingly filed the petition in bad faith to delay the eviction and made misrepresentations as to the nature of the filing. The bankruptcy court sanctioned Neusom by enjoining him from practicing bankruptcy law for one year and imposing fines and penalties.
Jerrod Mackenzie Paul, 37 N. Orange Ave., Suite 500, Orlando, disciplinary revocation with leave to seek readmission effective 30 days following a January 2 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2011) Paul represented a client in a personal injury matter. He informed the client that the case was settled and had the client sign a general release. The client alleged that she was not provided a copy of the closing statement, and that she was later contacted by one of the medical providers who advised that Paul never paid the medical providers.
Dwayne D. Perser, 4210 Commercial Way, #1059, Spring Hill, public reprimand and ordered to complete an office procedures review by The Florida Bar’s Diversion/Discipline Consultation Service, effective immediately following a January 16 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2002) Perser failed to provide diligent representation to a client in prosecuting a motion for contempt against the client’s former husband for failure to pay child support and failure to adhere to the parenting plan. Perser also failed to maintain adequate communication with his client during his handling of the matter. Perser’s lack of diligence and poor communication resulted in confusion and hindered the parties’ ability to coordinate visitation per the court’s instruction.
Rhonda Raulerson Portwood, 814 West Leon St., Perry, suspended for 90 days and ordered to attend Ethics School effective 30 days following a January 2 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2002) Portwood engaged in multiple offenses by neglecting client cases and delegating responsibilities to her nonlawyer staff without providing adequate supervision. Portwood also drafted a dissolution of marriage petition for a client with whom she had no direct communication and filed the petition without realizing that the client had passed away.
Larry Edward Powers, Jr., 4155 S. Atlantic Ave., Apt. 110, New Smyrna Beach, disciplinary revocation with leave to seek readmission effective immediately following a January 2 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1987) Powers had shortages in his trust account and commingled funds.
Wesley E. Terry, 1314 E. Las Olas Blvd., Unit 1645, Ft. Lauderdale, suspended for 20 days effective 30 days following a November 27 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2005) Terry neglected two separate cases. In both instances, Terry collected a fee and thereafter failed to diligently represent the clients and to properly communicate with them. Terry further failed to respond to investigative inquiries from The Florida Bar.
