The Hot Story: No free speech for lawyers
December 13, 2007 at 2:15 pm by Wayne GarciaFrom the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:
A defense attorney’s law license is at risk because he posted an angry description on the Internet of embattled Broward Circuit Judge Cheryl Alemán, calling her an “evil, unfair witch.”Last week, as Alemán was on trial for alleged misconduct before the Judicial Qualifications Commission, The Florida Bar signed off on its finding that Sean Conway may have violated five bar rules, including impugning the judge’s qualifications or integrity.
In the Halloween 2006 posting on a blog, Conway denounced Alemán for what he said was an “ugly, condescending attitude” and questioned her mental stability after, he says, she unlawfully forced attorneys to choose between unreasonable trial dates or waiving their clients’ rights to a speedy trial.
As those who have joined the Florida Bar or run a judicial campaign know well, there is no such thing as free speech for lawyers or judges. Wouldn’t want to taint the justice system with the truth and all that.
Broward has been the site of a lively trade in courthouse online bashing. Back in May, the county’s chief judge complained that a lawyer blog was undermining his authority in the courthouse along the banks of the mighty New River.
Broward County has several interesting and snarky lawyer blogs, including the one complained about above (JAABLAW Blog) and South Florida Lawyers, which not only has references to Sandy D’Alemberte’s daughter posing for Playboy in 1991 but a photo of The Skipper himself.
Why doesn’t Tampa Bay have such exciting lawyer-bitching vehicles?
