Title: The Florida Bar v. Bazley
Citation: 597 So. 2d 796
Docket Number: 77999
State: Florida
Issuer: Florida Supreme Court
Date: April 30, 1992

597 So. 2d 796 (1992)
THE FLORIDA BAR, Complainant,
v.
James A. BAZLEY, Jr., Respondent.
No. 77999.

Supreme Court of Florida.
April 30, 1992.
John F. Harkness, Jr., Executive Director, John T. Berry, Staff Counsel and James N. Watson, Jr., Bar Counsel, Tallahassee, for complainant.
James A. Bazley, in pro. per.
PER CURIAM.
This disciplinary proceeding against James A. Bazley, Jr., is before us on the petition of The Florida Bar for review of the referee's recommendation that Bazley be suspended from the practice of law for thirty days. The Bar asks this Court to increase the penalty from a thirty-day suspension to an eighteen-month suspension. We agree with the Bar that the discipline, under these facts, should be increased, but find that the appropriate discipline is a suspension for eight months.
The referee made the following findings:
The referee found that Bazley's misconduct violated Rules Regulating The Florida Bar 4-1.1 (competence); 4-1.3 (diligence); 4-1.4(a) (keeping client reasonably informed); 4-1.16(b)(1)-(6) (withdrawal from representing a client); and 4-8.4(c) (engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation). The referee recommended that Bazley "receive a public reprimand, be suspended for thirty days, and be placed on probation for a period of eighteen months as provided in Rules 3-5.1(c) and 3-5.1(d), Rules of Discipline [of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar]." In recommending this discipline, the referee considered that Bazley: (1) had a prior private reprimand for neglect of a matter, although at the time of the mistake he was relatively inexperienced; (2) did not have the benefit of a supervising attorney or associate with whom he could consult; (3) was, by his own admission, drinking heavily during the period in question; (4) caused no injury as a result of his conduct since the client received money that he could not have received through a negligence suit; (5) was remorseful; and (6) was receiving treatment for his alcohol abuse.
The Bar argues that the referee's recommended penalty is inappropriate in view of Bazley's prior misconduct and the discipline in a similar case, The Florida Bar v. Palmer, 504 So. 2d 752 (Fla. 1987). In Palmer, we approved a referee's order suspending a lawyer for eight months on almost identical facts. In Palmer,
Id. at 752. In recommending that Palmer be suspended, the referee considered the following:
Id. We approved the findings and recommendations of the referee and suspended Palmer for eight months.
We find that Palmer is persuasive authority, particularly because of the very similar factual situation. Upon a full consideration of the facts and a review of this record, we agree that Bazley's misconduct warrants a greater discipline than a thirty-day suspension.
Accordingly, James A. Bazley is hereby suspended from the practice of law in Florida for a period of eight months. After reinstatement, Bazley shall be placed on probation for eighteen months on the following terms: (1) that he pass the ethics portion of The Florida Bar; (2) that he file semiannual caseload status reports with the Bar Counsel; and (3) that he participate in an alcohol abuse program as recommended by The Florida Bar Alcoholics Recovery Program. Bazley is suspended effective June 1, 1992, to allow thirty days to wind up his practice and attend to the protection of his present clients, but he shall accept no new business from the date of this opinion. Judgment for costs in the amount of $1,165.82 is hereby entered in favor of the Bar and against Bazley, for which sum let execution issue.
It is so ordered.
SHAW, C.J., and OVERTON, McDONALD, BARKETT, GRIMES, KOGAN and HARDING, JJ., concur.