Title: The Florida Bar v. The Embassy of Heaven Church
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: SC94-251
State: Florida
Issuer: Florida Supreme Court
Date: June 8, 2000

Supreme 
Court 
of 
Florida
 
____________
No. SC94251
____________
THE FLORIDA BAR,
Complainant,
vs.
THE EMBASSY OF HEAVEN CHURCH, et al.,
Respondents.
[June 8, 2000]
PER CURIAM.
We have for review a referee’s report recommending that respondents,
Richard A. Shiarla and the Embassy of Heaven Church, be enjoined from engaging
in the unlicensed practice of law. We have jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 15, Fla. Const.
FACTS
The Florida Bar filed a Petition Against the Unlicensed Practice of Law
against Shiarla and the Embassy of Heaven Church making the following
allegations:
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Count I-  In February 1998, the Embassy of Heaven Church convened a self-
described ecclesiastical court to consider legal issues relating to an individual’s
alleged theft of money from members of the church.  This “court” was made up of at
least a chief justice, a scribe, and a minister of legal affairs.
Through its court proceedings, the Embassy of Heaven Church issued the
following legal documents relating to the individual “charged” with the theft:  (1) a
finding of probable cause; (2) findings of fact and conclusions of law; (3) a
judgment and sentence; (4) an affidavit in support of domestication of foreign
judgment; and (5) an affidavit of truth.
Count II-  The above-referenced documents were recorded in the official
record books of Seminole County, Florida.  As further part of the above court
proceedings, the Embassy of Heaven Church mailed at least the following
documents to the individual charged with the theft: (1) an application for claim; (2)
an invitation for participation in arbitration proceedings; (3) an application for
hearing; and (4) a public notice of judgment.
Count III-  On February 11, 1998, Shiarla prepared and signed an
Emergency Ex-Parte Petition for Habeas Corpus on behalf of the individual charged
with the theft.  Shiarla filed this petition in the Circuit Court of the Thirteenth
Judicial Circuit, in and for Hillsborough County, in his capacity as pastor and
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“corporation sole” of the Embassy of Heaven Church.  The circuit court denied the
petition on February 20, 1998.  
Count IV-  In 1997, Ocwen Federal Bank, FSB, formerly known as Berkeley
Federal Bank and Trust, FSB, commenced a foreclosure action relating to the real
property upon which Shiarla resides in Seminole County, Florida.  Shiarla filed
papers indicating that the property was deeded to him as pastor and “corporation
sole” of the Embassy of Heaven Church.  He also filed papers in the foreclosure
action in his capacity as pastor and “corporation sole” of the church.  The Bar
alleged that Shiarla’s filing in this capacity was the legal equivalent of a
corporation’s officer or director attempting to represent the corporation in court.   
The referee appointed by this Court to hear the proceedings held a status
conference on May 17, 1999, at which respondents failed to appear.  On May 24,
1999, the referee entered an Order on Status Conference, ordering respondents to
file an answer to the Bar’s petition within thirty days.  The Bar mailed and hand-
delivered a copy of this order to respondents.  Respondents failed to file an answer. 
On July 26, 1999, the Bar filed a Motion to Decide the Case Upon its Merits and an
Affidavit of Costs.  The  referee granted the Bar’s motion, entered judgment on the
merits, and issued his report.
The referee found that at all times material to the instant proceeding,
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respondents were not, and are not, members of The Florida Bar.  Since respondents
did not file an answer to the Bar’s petition, the referee took the Bar’s allegations as
true.  The referee then made the following conclusions of law:
1.  The Embassy of Heaven Church engaged in the unlicensed practice of law
by holding itself out as able and authorized to conduct legal proceedings, and by
conducting legal proceedings and issuing documents purporting to have legal effect
and authority.  
2.  Shiarla engaged in the practice of law by filing a habeas petition on behalf
of another, and by filing papers, in his capacity as a representative of the Embassy
of Heaven Church, to protect the interests of the church in a foreclosure action.  
The referee found that respondents’ actions “violate the letter and spirit of
this Court’s decisions” in earlier unlicensed practice of law cases, and also “present
the potential for substantial public harm.”  Therefore, the referee recommended that
the Court ratify and adopt the judgment on the merits, enjoin respondents from
engaging in the practice of law as set forth in the petition, and tax costs of the
proceedings against respondents jointly and severally.  
ANALYSIS
Regarding petitions filed by the Bar seeking injunctions for the unlicensed
practice of law, Rule 10-7.1(b)(4) of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar provides
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that “[i]f no response or defense is filed within the time permitted, the allegations of
the petition shall be taken as true for purposes of that action.”  See also Florida Bar
v. Warren, 655 So. 2d 1131, 1132 (Fla. 1995).  In the instant case, respondents did
not file a response to the Bar’s petition; therefore, we adopt the referee’s findings of
fact taking the Bar’s allegations as true.  See R. Regulating Fla. Bar 10-7.1(b)(4).
Regarding a referee’s legal conclusions, this Court has held that “[a] referee's
findings regarding guilt are presumed correct and will be upheld unless clearly
erroneous or without support in the record.”  Florida Bar v. Weisser, 721 So. 2d
1142, 1144 (Fla. 1998).  We find that case law supports the referee’s conclusion 
that the conduct engaged in by respondents constitutes the unlicensed practice of
law.   See Florida Bar v. Gentz, 640 So. 2d 1105 (Fla. 1994) (holding that three
individuals who held themselves out to the public as a panel of judges capable of
granting divorces were engaged in the unlicensed practice of law); Florida Bar v.
York, 689 So. 2d 1037, 1039 (Fla. 1996) (finding that it constitutes the unlicensed
practice of law for a nonattorney to threaten suit on behalf of another); Florida Bar
v. Gordon, 661 So. 2d 295, 296 (Fla. 1995) (enjoining nonattorney from
“[a]ppearing in any Florida court or offering to appear in any Florida court, either
expressly or impliedly, as a spokesperson or representative for litigants in any court
proceeding”);  Szteinbaum v. Kaes Inversiones y Valores, C.A., 476 So. 2d 247,
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248 (Fla. 3d DCA 1985) (holding that “a corporation, unlike a natural person,
cannot represent itself and cannot appear in a court of law without an attorney”); 
Richter v. Higdon Homes, Inc., 544 So. 2d 300, 300 (Fla. 1st DCA 1989) (finding
that a corporation “may not represent itself through non-lawyer employees . . . even
where the non-lawyer purporting to represent the corporation is the sole shareholder
of the corporation”).
CONCLUSION
Accordingly, we approve the report of the referee and adopt the judgment on
the merits.  Respondents Richard A. Shiarla, the Embassy of Heaven Church, and
any employees or persons acting in concert with respondents are permanently and
perpetually enjoined from engaging in the unlicensed practice of law in the State of
Florida.  Judgment is entered for The Florida Bar, 650 Apalachee Parkway,
Tallahassee, Florida  32399, for recovery of costs from respondents Richard A.
Shiarla and the Embassy of Heaven Church, jointly and severally, in the amount of
$40.00, for which sum let execution issue.
It is so ordered.
HARDING, C.J., and SHAW, WELLS, ANSTEAD, PARIENTE, LEWIS and
QUINCE, JJ., concur.
NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING MOTION, AND IF
FILED, DETERMINED.
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Original Proceeding - The Florida Bar
John F. Harkness, Jr., Executive Director, and Mary Ellen Bateman, Unlicensed
Practice of Law Counsel, Tallahassee, Florida; and Barry W. Rigby, Branch UPL
Counsel, Orlando, Florida,
       for Complainant
Richard A. Shiarla, pro se, Longwood, Florida,
       for Respondents