Opinion ID: 1100734
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Outside of the Brochure

Text: We initially address the issue of whether, based on the undisputed facts, the outside of the self-mailing brochure revealed the nature of the potential client's legal problem, in violation of rule 4-7.4(b)(2)(K). We hold that it does not. In the order granting Gold summary relief on the rule 4-7.4(b)(2)(K) claim, the referee concluded that application of the rule to Gold's conduct would constitute an unconstitutional suppression of respondent's protected commercial speech. We disapprove the referee's report insofar as it purports to grant summary relief to Gold on First Amendment grounds on the rule 4-7.4(b)(2)(K) claim. However, we need not reach the First Amendment issue. When a case may be resolved on grounds other than constitutional grounds, the Court will ordinarily refrain from proceeding to decide the constitutional question. See, e.g., Sullivan v. Sapp, 866 So.2d 28 (Fla.2004). The outside of the brochure contained the names and addresses of the recipients. The sender was identified as The Ticket Clinic, the name of Gold's law practice. In addition, there was a picture of a stop sign and a roadway, along with the words: Don't Just Roll Over Fight Back. While it is possible that someone seeing the outside of Gold's brochure might guess that the recipient was being targeted by a law firm, there is nothing that would lead inescapably to the conclusion that the recipient had indeed been charged with a particular offense. There is certainly nothing on the outside of the brochure to indicate the recipient had actually been charged with DUI. In fact, there was nothing to distinguish the outside of the brochure from numerous other unsolicited, seemingly random bulk mail advertisements which are mailed and delivered regularly in the hopes of gaining, by chance alone, some new customers or purchasers. Accordingly, the referee's report is approved insofar as it granted summary relief in favor of Gold on the rule 7.4(b)(2)(K) claim.