When residents in Florida seek advice and help from a legal professional, they should be able to trust that the attorney has their best interests in mind. Part of this includes being able to trust that the lawyer would never do something that they knew to be illegal or unethical. While this seems like a basic thing, there are sadly some times when even a legal professional fails to uphold these duties.
One example can be seen in a case involving a lawyer who began a solo practice shortly after receiving his license to practice law in Florida. The attorney focused part of his work on allegedly helping people be allowed to legally grow and use marijuana for medicinal purposes. He began this work in 2014. At least two couples hired the man and paid him for what they believed were legitimate certifications and identification cards that gave them the right to produce and use their own medical pot.
In early 2015, one of the couples was arrested and ended up losing their jobs and their homes after entering into a plea agreement for multiple felony charges related to what ended up being the illegal growth and use of pot. They have since filed a malpractice suit and the original attorney has lost his license to practice law.
When faced with the realization that a lawyer actually provided inaccurate and potentially even illegal guidance, people in Florida might want to reach out to another trusted legal source for help in determining how to seek compensation.
Source: The Daily Beast, “Lawyer Said Their Weed Plants Were Legal – and It Landed Them in Jail,” Kate Briquelet, January 23, 2018