Palatka attorney among 21 disciplined by Bar

Karen Y. Kirksey announced to Historic City News on behalf of The Florida Bar, the state’s guardian for the integrity of the legal profession, that the Florida Supreme Court has recently disciplined 21 attorneys including one from Palatka — disbarring seven and suspending 11.

Some attorneys received more than one form of discipline. Three attorneys were publicly reprimanded and one was placed on probation. Two were ordered to pay restitution.

The following lawyers are disciplined:

Gabrielle Alexis, 4613 N. University Drive #558, Coral Springs, suspended until further order, following an Aug. 4 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1996) According to a petition for emergency suspension, Alexis has caused and continues to cause great public harm. Alexis is the subject of several Bar disciplinary investigations regarding the misappropriation of client funds, including more than $665,000 meant to pay off a mortgage. (Case No. SC10-1528)

Cheryl L. Anderson, P.O. Box 428, Palatka, suspended for one year, effective 30 days from a July 21 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1983) Anderson was held in contempt of court. In October 2009, Anderson was publicly reprimanded and placed on probation for three years. She failed to comply with the terms of the probation. (Case No. SC10-972)

Esteban Anderson Jr., 12555 Biscayne Blvd. #911, North Miami, disbarred effective immediately, following a July 21 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2003) Upon reviewing Anderson’s trust account records, the Bar found evidence that he misappropriated client funds. (Case No. SC10-689)

Peter Steven Baranowicz, 1797 San Silvestro Drive, Venice, suspended for 90 days, effective 30 days from a July 8 court order. Further, the probation period imposed in 2008 is extended for three years. (Admitted to practice: 1986) In August 2008, Baranowicz was publicly reprimanded and placed on probation for three years. He failed to comply with the terms of the probation. (Case No. SC09-1449)

Robert Patrick Beatty, P.O. Box 2333, Stuart, disbarred for 10 years, effective retroactive to July 2, following a July 29 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1969) Between March 2002 and April 2009, Beatty used without authority, at least $107,000 in client funds from his trust account for his own business and/or personal purposes. (Case No. SC19-1490)

Sanford David Bosem, 6005 S. Eastern Ave. #15, Las Vegas, Nev., suspended for 91 days, effective 30 days from an Aug. 5 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1990) Bosem failed to comply with the terms of a 2008 court order which required him to meet the terms of a two-year contract with Florida Lawyers Assistance, Inc. (Case No. SC10-1188)

Steven Hill Lee Bowman, 611 U.s. Highway 41 S., Inverness, disbarred for 10 years, effective immediately, following a July 21 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1984) After the death of a client in 2004, Bowman, the trustee, failed to notify the sole beneficiary, a nationally recognized charity, of its assets. Bowman allowed the main asset of the trust, the client’s house, to fall into disrepair and the real estate taxes from 2006 to 2008 became delinquent, resulting in a tax deed sale. Bowman used, without the authority of the charity, at least $53,000 to pay unpaid business taxes. He also took excessive fees. (Case NO. SC10-722)

Patrick Cicalese, 129 Center St., Jupiter, suspended effective 30 days from a July 12 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1992) In June, Cicalese was adjudicated guilty in federal district court in New York, of three illegal gambling-related felonies. He was sentenced to three years probation on each count, fined $10,000 and assessed $300.00. Cicalese was also ordered to forfeit his interest in at least $4 million obtained as a result of the gambling offenses. (Case No. SC10-1331)

Charles Weaver Cope, IV, 1188 Mandalay Point, Clearwater Beach, suspended for 91 days, effective immediately following a July 8 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1975) In June 2008, Cope was suspended for 90 days and placed on probation for three years. He was also ordered to enter into a contract with Florida Lawyers Assistance, Inc. Cope was held in contempt of court for failing to comply with the terms of his probation. (Case No. SC09-1127)

David Noble Doss, 5209 Gulfport Blvd. S., Gulfport, disbarred effective retroactive to Nov. 3, 2009, following a July 14 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1986) Doss pleaded guilty in circuit court to grand theft, a first-degree felony. (Case No. SC09-2010)

Thomas W. Dvorak, 633 S. Andrews Ave., Suite 402, Fort Lauderdale, suspended for one year, effective 30 days from a June 24 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2002) Dvorak will also pay restitution of more than $127,500 to clients. Dvorak was the subject of more than 45 Bar complaints — most having to do with mortgage loan modifications. After being retained, Dvorak failed to competently represent his clients. He also failed to supervise those who worked for him. (Case No. SC10-1166)

David Moss Edelstein, 1111 Brickell Ave., Suite 250, Miami, to be publicly reprimanded following a July 8 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1995) Edelstein pleaded guilty to disseminating information on his law practice website that was misleading. (Case No. SC10-433)

David Andrew Ehrlich, 2 Wallbrook Court, Cohoes, N.Y., suspended until further order, following an Aug. 3 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2003) According to a petition for emergency suspension, Ehrlich appeared to be causing great public harm by engaging in a repeated pattern of fraud, neglect and abandonment of his clients. (Case No. SC10-1497)

L. Daniel Ferrer, 1 Financial Plaza, Suite 2612, Fort Lauderdale, disbarred effective immediately, following a July 14 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1988) Ferrer was found guilty in court with one count of misprision of a felony — for having knowledge of stock fraud and failing to report it. He also lied to the Security and Exchange Commission about stock trading activities. Ferrer was sentenced to 21 months of imprisonment followed by one year of supervised release. (Case No. SC09-1833)

Albert Elsworth Ford, II, 740 Florida Central Parkway, Suite 2008, Longwood, suspended until further order, following an Aug. 3 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1995) According to a petition for emergency suspension, Ford appeared to be causing great public harm by engaging in threatening behavior toward a former client. He was charged with grand theft, burglary of a dwelling or structure while armed, and criminal mischief. (Case No. SC10-1498)

Nirav Mahendra Jamindar, 2650 Airport Road S., Suite H, Naples, to be publicly reprimanded following a July 14 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2008) While working as an assistant public defender, Jamindar and a client developed a mutual interest in pursuing a personal relationship. Jamindar tried to conceal the relationship from jail staff by sending personal correspondence to the client under an assumed name. When initially confronted about his misconduct, Jamindar intentionally misled his supervisor. He later admitted the truth. (Case No. SC10-203)

Richard Francis Joyner, 2770 Indian River Blvd., Suite 300, Vero Beach, disbarred effective immediately, following a July 21 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2003) Further, Joyner shall pay restitution of $50,000 to an insurance company. An audit of Joyner’s trust accounts revealed non-compliance with Bar rules. Additionally, Joyner attributed missing funds to a check he inadvertently wrote, but later said an employee embezzled the money. (Case No. SC10-27)

Douglas Liddell Kirkland, 203 N.E. 8th Ave., Ocala, disbarred effective retroactive to May 20, following a July 21 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1993) An audit revealed that funds from Kirkland’s trust account were used to pay expenses that should have been paid from his operating account. The audit also found that at least five prohibited loans totaling $4,600 were made from Kirkland’s trust account. (Case No. SC10-894)

Carlos Michael Muniz, 1800 S.W. 27th Ave., Suite 201, Miami, to be publicly reprimanded following a July 14 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1999) Muniz represented himself pro se and his law firm in a civil lawsuit. On more that one occasion, in the absence of the opposing counsel, Muniz implored the judge to rule against the opposing counsel, despite being warned that his comments were improper. (Case No. SC10-387)

Alfredo Padron Jr., 8105 N.W. 155th St., Miami Lakes, suspended indefinitely, following a July 30 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1994) According to a petition for emergency suspension, Padron appeared to be causing great public harm by the misappropriation and/or diversion of funds entrusted to him. (Case No. SC10-813)

Christopher Rumsey Qualmann, P.O. Box 940669, Maitland, suspended for three years effective immediately, following a July 8 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1984) Qualmann engaged in the practice of law while suspended. He was held in contempt of court for non-compliance with Bar rules. (Case Nos. SC09-1215, SC09-1725 and SC10-247)

As an official agency of the Florida Supreme Court, The Florida Bar and its Department of Lawyer Regulation are charged with administering a statewide disciplinary system to enforce Supreme Court rules of professional conduct for the 88,000-plus lawyers admitted to practice law in Florida. Since Aug. 1, 2007, case files have been posted to attorneys’ individual Florida Bar profiles and may be reviewed at and/or downloaded from The Florida Bar’s website, www.floridabar.org.

Court orders are not final until time expires to file a rehearing motion and, if filed, determined. The filing of such a motion does not alter the effective date of the discipline. Disbarred lawyers may not re-apply for admission for five years. They are required to go through an extensive process that rejects many who apply. It includes a rigorous background check and retaking the bar exam. Historically, fewer than five percent of disbarred lawyers seek readmission.