Opinion ID: 1950063
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Past Contributions to the Profession and Absence of Previous Misconduct

Text: Respondent contends that his past contributions to the profession and the absence of previous misconduct on his part demonstrate that there is no risk to the legal profession or to his clientele for him to remain an active member of the Bar while his conviction is being appealed. We recognize that respondent has demonstrated substantial service to the Bar and has no prior disciplinary offenses. Respondent now stands convicted on five counts of making false and material declarations under oath before a grand jury. This conduct is so antithetical to the oath, the standards, and the ideals of the legal profession that it is difficult to conceive of any mitigating circumstance which would justify the respondent's continuing as a practicing member of the Bar. A lawyer is an officer of the Court, and it is our opinion that whenever a lawyer is convicted of a criminal offense directly involving the court system of which he is an officer, there must be an immediate suspension. As we stated in The Florida Bar v. Craig, [23] the appearance of a convicted attorney continuing to practice does more to disrupt public confidence in the legal profession than any other disciplinary problem. Members of the Bar must maintain a high standard of conduct. If the law is to be respected, the public must be able to respect the individuals who administer it. By failing to swiftly discipline an attorney found guilty of a serious offense, we necessarily impair the public's confidence in the law and in this Court's willingness to enforce the law evenhandedly. The immediate suspension procedure set forth in our rules is designed to remove from public counseling and from the court system as promptly as possible, but not irrevocably, individuals who stand convicted of a felony offense. All events in an attorney's life prior to his conviction are, in effect, overwhelmed by a felony conviction. The purpose of the rule is to cleanse the profession of those who cannot themselves abide by the law. Preconviction prominence is not a balancing factor. We are not alone in this view, as is reflected by the recent decision of the Supreme Court of Washington in In re Krogh. [24]