Opinion ID: 1936248
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: 601 law offices of ralph l. flowers xxx-xxx-xxxx

Text: There is a side entrance to the building which leads to a hallway behind the Respondent's offices. The side entrance is blocked by a chain-link fence but otherwise appears accessible from the street. Frances-Lopez believed that L. Stanley Brown worked with Respondent and that Respondent would be handling her immigration case. In June, 1991, Frances-Lopez paid $500.00 to L. Stanley Brown, the receipt of which Mr. Brown acknowledges, and believed it was for Respondent's legal representation. L. Stanley Brown arranged to have Frances-Lopez and others transported from Ft. Pierce to Tampa, Florida to register with the immigration office. A money order was written on July 1, 1991 by Frances-Lopez to pay an additional $250.00 to L. Stanley Brown. L. Stanley Brown testified, but produced no exhibits, that additional appointments were made with Frances-Lopez to prepare her for the immigration hearing in 1991. Respondent acknowledges that he identified Frances-Lopez as his client to the United States Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization, that he received a notice of a scheduled appointment for Frances-Lopez and passed it on to L. Stanley Brown, but that he did not meet with Frances-Lopez, denies representing her and denies receiving money from her. The evidence establishes that Frances-Lopez believed she was represented by Respondent in this immigration matter, that $750.00 was paid to L. Stanley Brown for these services, some services were performed and others were not, and that Respondent violated the Rules of Professional Conduct.... Respondent contends that Frances-Lopez was never his client, that he had never met her, did not collect money from her, or provide any legal representation to her. However, Respondent allowed a condition to exist where an individual seeking immigration assistance and meeting with L. Stanley Brown could reasonably expect and believe that they were receiving legal representation by Respondent. L. Stanley Brown maintains an office which is accessible only after entering the front door marked, Law Offices of Ralph L. Flowers, after entering into a reception area staffed by Respondent's secretary and entering through an unmarked door in an alcove to a hallway leading to the office of L. Stanley Brown marked only by a faded stick-on letter O. In short, although the means exist, there is no effort made to distinguish the Respondent's offices from that of his tenant, the immigration consultant L. Stanley Brown, and the testimony compels the undersigned to find France-Lopez a client in fact of Respondent. (Record references omitted.) The referee made the following findings of fact as to Count II of the Bar's complaint: Respondent represented Carrie Jacobs-Scott (Jacobs-Scott) in 1987 as a co-guardian for three minor children of Jacob-Scott's deceased sister, Guardianship Case No. 87-658-CP in the Circuit Court of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit, in and for St. Lucie County, Florida. Respondent failed to file annual accountings on behalf of Jacob-Scott for the minor children in the years 1989, 1990, and 1991. Respondent did not respond to the Order to Show Cause served upon Jacobs-Scott and on March 27, 1992, she was removed as co-guardian for the wards. Attorney Kevin Hendrickson was court appointed as guardian ad litem to review the guardianship. His investigation established that the guardianship fund had not been mismanaged and Jacobs-Scott was reappointed as sole guardian for the two remaining wards. Guardianship funds were expended to compensate attorney Hendrickson's work. Jacobs-Scott repeatedly contacted Respondent regarding the orders to show cause she received in the guardianship case but Respondent failed to file proper accounting and to properly communicate and advise Jacobs-Scott in this matter. (Record references omitted.) Based on the above findings of fact, the Referee made the following recommendations concerning guilt: