Court Opinion

ID: 9881001
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-29 14:04:03.443612+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:58:49.800111
License: Public Domain

DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL OF FLORIDA
                        SECOND DISTRICT

             In the Interest of K.R., K.R., and K.R., children.

                              K.J. and K.R.,

                                Appellants,

                                     v.

           DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES and
                 GUARDIAN AD LITEM PROGRAM,

                                Appellees.

                             No. 2D23-1274

                           September 29, 2023

Appeal from the Circuit Court for Pinellas County; Christopher Michael
LaBruzzo, Judge.

Brandon L. Kolb, Tampa, for Appellants.

Bruce Bartlett, State Attorney, and Leslie M. Layne, Assistant State
Attorney, Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida, Clearwater, for Appellee
Department of Children and Families.

Sara Elizabeth Goldfarb, Statewide Director of Appeals, Krystle Celine
Cacci, Senior Attorney, and Stephanie E. Novenario, Senior Attorney,
Statewide Guardian Ad Litem Office, Tallahassee (substituted as counsel
of record), for Appellee Guardian ad Litem.

PER CURIAM.
     Attorney Brandon L. Kolb, Florida Bar Number 567124, failed to
appear before this court on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, to show cause
why sanctions should not be imposed for his failure to comply with this
court's orders in this appeal of a final judgment terminating the parents'
rights to their children. Termination of parental rights proceedings are to
follow an expedited schedule. See Fla. R. App. P. 9.146(g), (h).
     Attorney Kolb filed the notice of appeal in the trial court on June
14, 2023. On June 16, 2023, this court issued an order directing that if
a transcript will be necessary and attorney Kolb had not already done so,
he should file and serve designations within three days and forward a
copy to this court within seven days. In the alternative, the order
directed attorney Kolb to file a status report within seven days stating
that no designations are to be filed in this appeal. See Fla. R. App. P.
9.146(g)(2)(B), (C). Attorney Kolb is registered for electronic service with
this court, and the case management system shows an acknowledgement
of receipt of the order, but attorney Kolb did not respond to the order.
     On July 14, 2023, this court ordered attorney Kolb to comply with
the June 16 order within ten days and warned that sanctions may be
imposed for noncompliance. The case management system shows an
acknowledgement of receipt of the order, but attorney Kolb did not
respond to the order.
     On July 31, 2023, this court ordered attorney Kolb to show cause
within ten days why sanctions should not be imposed for his failure to
comply with the June 16 and July 14 orders. The case management
system shows an acknowledgement of receipt of the order, but attorney
Kolb did not respond to the order.
     On August 14, 2023, this court attempted several times to call
attorney Kolb regarding his failure to comply with court orders but
received a message that the phone number provided to this court and
listed with The Florida Bar was no longer in service.

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     On August 14, 2023, this court issued an order directing attorney
Kolb to appear before the court on September 5, 2023, and show cause
why sanctions should not be imposed for his failure to comply with the
aforesaid orders. Attorney Kolb failed to appear. This court was able to
contact him at the phone number that had previously been out of
service, and he advised the court that he had not received the order to
show cause and would not be able to appear because he was out of town.
While the case management system does not show an acknowledgement
of receipt of the August 14, 2023, order to show cause, the United States
Postal Service tracking system shows that the order was delivered to an
individual on August 16, 2023, at the address attorney Kolb provided to
this court and to The Florida Bar.
     Due to Attorney Kolb's failure to comply with this court's directives
and the attendant delays in this expedited appeal and recognizing
attorney Kolb's disciplinary history, we hereby refer this matter to The
Florida Bar for investigation and initiation of such proceedings as may be
appropriate.

SILBERMAN, LaROSE, and LUCAS, JJ., Concur.

Opinion subject to revision prior to official publication.

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