Case Name: KMS RESTAURANT CORP, a Florida Corporation, Petitioner, v. SEARCY, DENNEY, SCAROLA, BARNHART & SHIPLEY P.A., and John (Jack) Scarola, Esq., Respondents
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2013-02-27
Citations: 107 So. 3d 552
Docket Number: No. 4D12-3905
Parties: KMS RESTAURANT CORP, a Florida Corporation, Petitioner, v. SEARCY, DENNEY, SCAROLA, BARNHART & SHIPLEY P.A., and John (Jack) Scarola, Esq., Respondents.
Judges: MAY, C.J., GERBER and CONNER, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Third Series
Volume: 107
Pages: 552–552

Head Matter:
KMS RESTAURANT CORP, a Florida Corporation, Petitioner, v. SEARCY, DENNEY, SCAROLA, BARNHART & SHIPLEY P.A., and John (Jack) Scarola, Esq., Respondents.
No. 4D12-3905.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
Feb. 27, 2013.
Robert C. Stone of the Law Office of Robert C. Stone, P.A., Boca Raton, for petitioner.
Richard Burton Bush and Audra Michelle Bryant of Bush & Augspurger, P.A., Tallahassee, for respondents.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
KMS Restaurant Corporation petitions this court for a writ of certiorari seeking review of an order disqualifying its attorney. The circuit court disqualified KMS's counsel solely because he is a material witness in the underlying case. The trial court's order departs from the essential requirements of law because it is not limited to disqualifying counsel from representing KMS at trial. Graves v. Lapi, 834 So.2d 359 (Fla. 4th DCA 2003); Cerillo v. Highley, 797 So.2d 1288 (Fla. 4th DCA 2001). The fact that counsel will be a material witness does not preclude him from participating in proceedings before and after trial.
Accordingly we grant this petition and quash the trial court's order.
MAY, C.J., GERBER and CONNER, JJ., concur.