Case Title: The Florida Bar v. Graham

Citation: 679 So. 2d 1181

Docket Number: 

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 1996-09-26T00:00:00Z

Document:
679 So. 2d 1181 (1996)
THE FLORIDA BAR, Complainant,
v.
Gary G. GRAHAM, Respondent.
No. 84897.

Supreme Court of Florida.
September 26, 1996.
John F. Harkness, Jr., Executive Director and John T. Berry, Staff Counsel, Tallahassee, and Frances R. Brown, Carlos E. Torres, Jan K. Wichrowski and Eric M. Turner, Bar Co-Counsel, Orlando, for Complainant.
Gary G. Graham, pro se, Inverness, for Respondent.
PER CURIAM.
We have for review the consent judgment by Gary G. Graham and the Florida Bar and the referee's report recommending that Graham be found guilty of two counts of misconduct and that he receive a public reprimand. We have jurisdiction pursuant to article V, section 15, of the Florida Constitution, and approve the referee's report and the consent judgment for a public reprimand.
In Florida Bar v. Graham, 662 So. 2d 1242 (Fla.1995), we previously dismissed counts one through thirteen of the complaint filed in this case. Those counts dealt with the charges of misconduct for which Graham was removed from judicial office. We dismissed the counts after finding that the allegations, if true, revealed a serious lack of judicial temperament, but that nothing in them indicated that Graham was dishonest or venal or guilty of moral turpitude so as to warrant additional discipline against him as an attorney. Counts fourteen and fifteen, which are the subject of the referee's report in this case, concerned Graham's conduct before and during the hearings before the Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) regarding Graham's judicial misconduct.
The facts of the alleged misconduct at issue were set forth in the consent judgment as follows:
Based on the consent judgment, the referee recommended that Graham be found guilty of violating the following Rules Regulating the Florida Bar: 4-3.4(e)(fairness to opposing party and counsel in trial); 4-3.5(c)(disruption of tribunal); 4-3.6(a) (prejudicial extrajudicial statements prohibited); 4-4.4 (respect for rights of third persons); 4-8.2(a)(impugning qualifications and integrity of judges or other officers); and 4-8.4(d) (misconduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice). The referee also recommended that we accept the agreed upon public reprimand as discipline and that Graham be required to pay the costs of this proceeding.
Based on the previous sanctions imposed upon Graham by this Court, the consent judgment agreed to by the parties, and the recommendations of the referee, we approve the consent judgment and the referee's recommendations. By publication of this opinion, we hereby publicly reprimand Gary G. Graham for the misconduct set forth herein. Judgment for costs in the amount of $1,333.05 is hereby entered in favor of the Florida Bar and against Gary G. Graham, for which sum let execution issue.
It is so ordered.
KOGAN, C.J., and OVERTON, SHAW, GRIMES, HARDING and ANSTEAD, JJ., concur.
WELLS, J., recused.