[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

"the legal industry, unlike all other industrys, is exempt from public viewing of its self-policing."

Time to trot out yet another of my strategies: How about a campaign for the Popular Barring/Disbarring of Court Officials?

Not just electing judges--let the public vote whether to license/void licenses to practice law. The Constitution doesn't say we have to have an "electoral college" type organization (the bar assns.) for attorneys/jurists.

[hdrabon]

I'm in. I've been in. Tell me what to do.

HDR

[Jay777]

Whoever else has an ACLU ping list...add me. Let me know who you are and I'll add you to mine.

[ijcr]

Let's have a look at the Florida Bar

Fiscal Year	96-97	97-98	98-99	99-00	00-01	01-02	02-03	03-04
Bar Population	56,379	58,108	59,741	61,014	62,722	62,999	*72,933	*74,874
Fees	11,712,230	11,853,617	12,153,000	12,532,469	12,859,897	17,756,501	18,592,995	19,186,482
Cost of Disc.	5,993,790	6,531,585	6,719,843	7,149,218	7,765,503	8,320,650	8,427,258	8,562,449
%Dues to Disc.	51.18 %	55.10 %	55.29 %	57.05 %	60.39 %	46.86 %	45.32%	44.63%
Cost Per Member	106.31	112.40	112.48	123.83	123.81	140.49	115.55	114.36
Disbarments	36	32	29	35	38	20	40	43
Suspensions	127	150	144	132	155	133	116	121
Public Reprimands	66	60	49	43	57	69	43	46
Disciplinary Resignations	36	38	44	30	38	29	26	20
Admonishments	88	62	66	57	70	52	70	65
Probations	71	73	71	93	114	109	88	36
Injunctions	4	2	0	1	0	2	1	0
Total Final Orders	428	417	403	391	472	414	384	331
Cost Per Sanction	14,004	15,663	16,675	19,323	16,452	21,482	21,945	25,868
Files Opened	9,436	9,317	9,101	9,491	9,280	8,691	8,671	8,820

*figure now includes total migs and inactive status

(updated 7/04)

 

Individual cases are publically displayed at:-

http://www.flabar.org/TFB/TFBPublic.nsf/WNewsSubject?OpenView&Start=1&Count=400&Expand=4#4

As strange as it seems the disciplinary process is working in our state.Remember each case of lawyer misconduct is ajudicated in the State Supreme Court. I cannot see where public input will enhance the system.