ATTORNEY IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Clients Accuse Lawyer Of Taking Payments, Doing Little
"I'm scared to death about what's going to happen to my life, my son's life," said a sobbing Melany Farooq. Farooq just left court, shocked that her lawyer did not show up. She was seeking protection against her husband. Now, $7,500 later, she is in the back of a fast food restaurant feeling destitute. "All he had to do was file the papers. That’s all he had to do. And everything would be OK," she said through tears.Video & Story http://www.nbc6.net/news/17133396/detail.html
SUPREME COURT DISCIPLINES 22 7-29-08
Scott Alan Salomon, 11555 Heron Bay Blvd., Suite 200, Coral Springs, suspended until further order of the court, following a June 27 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1992) According to the petition for emergency suspension, Salomon has caused and continues to cause great public harm. Salomon personally and via the Internet, systematically solicited and/or accepted the representation of individuals in all regions of the United States. After collecting attorneys fees from clients, Salomon incompetently represented them, or neglected or abandoned them. Additionally, Salomon has been found in contempt of various courts and has been the subject of Bar complaints filed by five state and federal judges. (Case No. SC08-1195)
Supreme Court of Florida
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF FLORIDA (Before a Referee) THE FLORIDA BAR ...
FYI For those of you who are not aware our Human Right Commissioner Shak Danji is running for Sheriff. Many around the Courthouse will remember Shak as the one who stood up to Dale Ross and Jay Spechler about how people were treated around here. It is obvious that Shak is the most feared candidate in this race because Barbra Miller, Rick Lemack's campaign manager as well as Mike Staz campaign manager is spreading rumors in the press about Shak's wife and other lies. What Barbra Miller wont tell you is that disgraced fired Judge Spechler is a major fundraiser and advisor to the Lemack campaign. There can be no doubt Spechler will get all BSO mediation work if Lemack is elected. If you want diversity and new leadership, free of Hollywood corruption, vote Shak for sheriff.
the word is that shak has his own problems, its between Israel and Lamberti.
The democratic race is really between Israel and Lemack. Everyone knows that....but nice try on cheering for Shak.
This guy is part of the Old Ross & Co.'s bad plan for Broward. I wouldn't vote for the guy for any office he was seeking. Just another bad politician who takes his lead form all the wrong people. He doesn't have a chance anyway. He's a moron that thinks he's entitled to the public trough.
Lets all be thankful we have a Florida Bar, and Supreme Court and brave Judges Like Dava Tunis in Miami who stand up to lying and deceitful lawyers who prey on the public.
I agree with you. It's back to Bollywood for Ross' dude Shak after he looses his bid for Sheriff. I wouldn't vote for the guy if he was the only candidate for Sheriff. Really bad news. Keep Lamberti. Let a cop do a cop's job, not some has been politician from the greasy group of offenders of public conscience.
This Solomon needs some laxatives to start. Gives us all a bad name. He's headed to prison where he'll be very popular.
I've had a commercial/real estate lit matter with Scott Salomon representing the Plaintiff. He had a different associate show up to every hearing. We moved to dismiss his complaints 5 times, each granted, with each subsequent amendment signed by a different lawyer from his office.
After 6 tries, Judge Luzzo had enough and dismissed with Prejudice. Proposals for settlement and Motions for Fees pursuant to s. 57.105 had been filed prior to dismissal of the action, and my client and our co-defendant's attorney's office had the right to seek recovery of probably about $30-40k in fees in the case.
Salomon failed to show up at hearings from that point, and eventually another attorney came in for the Plaintiff, who filed a response stating that Scott Salomon had never notified Plaintiffs that there were motions to dismiss filed in the case, amended pleadings, motions for sanctions against them, etc.
They alleged he had failed to respond to their calls for months/years and were begging to not be held liable for sanctions in the case (57.105 requires that sanctions be shared 50/50 between the party and attorney). They also filed a third party action against him for malpractice and to cover their portion of the sanctions. Salomon was served, and as far as I am aware, never responded.
These plaintiffs were sympathetic people who put their trust in a lawyer to recover money for them. They weren't entitled to it and had no case to speak of, but it really looks like this guy snookered them good. They stated in court he took all the money they had and left them high and dry.
Why it took the Bar so long to yank this guy's ticket is beyond me given the numerous complaints against him.
Shak fought Ross & Co. If Shak does not win Rick Lemack is going to win and Spechler will be far more influential then he was a Judge. Vote Shak as he is the candidate of diversity and change.
Looks like now that his lawsuit is about to be dismissed Sprinkles is trying to bring his clown show to BSO. Fellas is appears that Rick Lemack is the new clown to go with Ross/Lynch/Spechler. We already have a fine Sheriff in place and there is no more need to have the disgraced BSO have someone involved who was under investigation by the JQC, who bullied and harassed fellow Judges etc. Looks like the mediation business is not going so well if sprinks is looking to weasel his way into BSO. What is Lemack thinking having this clown involved in his campaign? You know the other Hollywood clowns Lynch and Cowart must be lurking around Lemack as well.
Sprinks is working with Rick Lemack. Guess the mediation business isnt going so well. BSO doesnt need another person involved under investigation, JQC, or someone who gets ahead by bullying and intimidating fellow Judges. If clown sprinks is there you know his buddies are not far behind Trachman/Lynch/Cowart/Ross. If this is the kind of person Lemack has as his campaign advisor it confirms the need to keep the current Sheriff a man who has earned his position and treats all with civility and respect.
http://www.lawyerratingz.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tcvid=28304
I have had personal experience with Mr. Salomon. He is a sociopathic predator with no conscience and totally underserving of a license to practice law. He is a common criminal with a law license.
The Bar has KNOWN about him and his criminal ways for years now yet has been so slow to act it defies description. If curious, take a look at what happened several years ago when he was accused of acting as a title agent when his right to do so had been revoked by Attorneys Title, then failing to pay off several mortgages resulting in people losing huge sums of money. Thereafter, he practiced for years without penalty. He must have seen the end coming recently and cash grabbed all he could.
I have to say that had the Bar acted promtly to shut down this human plague, less harm might have been done to the public. They knew about this guy for YEARS.
I have never ever ever met such a piece of garbage for a lawyer in 20 years of practice. Get ready Scotty you 400 pound pig, your going down, your going to do hard time (client theft all over the country = possible mail fraud) and you deserve to suffer for all the suffering you have caused others.
That being said....where was The Bar?????
Sadly, there are many Scott Salomons out there, in Broward, in Miami-Dade. Where's the uprorar? There is none.
I'm surprised JAAB found this story news worthy. JAAB and all the JAABite lawyers out there make a living by being Scott Salomon-like.
JAAB has always shown rapid response when a Broward judge is out of line, but little or no response when it's a Broward lawyer. Sadly, the damage done by corrupt and incompetent lawyers is far greater than the harm done by judges. Great work, JAAB? I don't think so.
sad to use this as an attack on the blog.
nor do I think that there are "many scott salomons" out there. This guy was out of control and should have been shut down long ago.
Don't blame the Bar. There few competent and ethical lawyers in this county. Forget professionalism, 99% of Broward lawyers don't know what that is.
All they care about is get that fee up front and then f--k the client.
JAAB portrays itself as out to do the right thing. Nothing can be further from the truth. JAAB has an agenda. It is a Blog that attacks those it disagrees with (Ross, Spechler, Cowart, Trachman, Lynch, Ahearn, Simon, Jack Thompson...etc) and cuddles those in its favor (Howard Finkelstein, Lee Seidman, Judge Julio Gonzalez, anyone who will run against a sitting judge JAAB dislikes)
Thats why you have the freedom not to read it then. Freedom bro !!!
@1:11 PM Anonymous:
Just to keep the record straight, when Jack Thompson first reared his head on JAABlog (in relation to the Moldoff story), the editors weren't half as cynically dismissive of him then as they are now. And many JAABlog posters cheered him on as if he was champion of some sort in their eyes.
Dude, the simple fact you accuse the blog of attacking Jack Thompson just proves how wildly out of touch you are, this is a man who got banned from several blogs for making legal and personal threats to the posters.
The reason he is here is because no-one else would have him, and, quite frankly, Jaablog itself has been incredibly patient with him, if I had run Jaablog, I'd have banned the nutball years ago, First amendment or not.
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA
THE FLORIDA BAR,
Complainant,
v. Case No. SC08-326
SEAN WILLIAM CONWAY,
Respondent.
MOTION TO INTERVENE
COMES NOW John B. Thompson (Thompson), an attorney on his own behalf and in continuous good standing with The Florida Bar for more than thirty-one years, and moves this court, pursuant to Rule 1.230, Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, to allow him to intervene in this action as a person with “an interest in this action,” stating:
Thompson is the target of two separate “disciplinary” actions by The Florida Bar that are now before this court. Involved in those actions are weighty issues as to the meaning and reach of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and whether judges, even corrupt, compromised, or incompetent ones, can be criticized by lawyers. Of course the answer is in the affirmative. The Florida Bar seeks to harm both Mr. Conway and the undersigned through a warped reading and application of Bar Rule 4-8.2(a). The Bar seeks to define “judicial independence” as total insulation from accountability, which is a view so crazy that the Founders would guffaw at the notion.
Thompson is being prosecuted by The Bar for far less incendiary comments about two judges than those publicly uttered by the respondent herein, Sean Conway. Indeed, all of Thompson’s comments are so far from accusing a sitting judge of being a “witch” and “mentally ill” (the characterizations by Mr. Conway of Judge Aleman), that Thompson is by comparison a paradigm of decorum compared to Mr. Conway. Yet The Bar seeks to violate state and federal constitutions, state and federal laws, and our own Bar Rules by seeking to punish eve n criticism of judges that is fact-based. The Bar has apparently never heard of the standard set forth in Times v. Sullivan.
Further, Thompson arguably and demonstrably has far more of an “interest,” within the meaning of Rule 1.230, Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, in the court’s determinations as to the meaning of the First Amendment than does Mr. Conway. Mr. Conway is facing at most a “reprimand.” Big deal. Thompson is facing disbarment for having spoken the truth to power.
If this court should recoil from granting this motion to intervene, then it is encouraged to take a look at the fact that a motion to intervene by another lawyer in Thompson’s “disciplinary” matters before this court was not denied and it was not stricken. This court apparently met that intervention filing with favor, so this court is estopped, surely, from denying this motion to intervene by Thompson. Equal Justice Under Law” is supposed to mean something.
Finally, this court would benefit from this intervention because it appears to be oblivious to the following fact: Mr. Conway’s isolated comments about Judge Aleman
are but tiny snowflakes that sit atop a gigantic iceberg that presently floats within the legal community’s waters in South Florida.
Conway’s comments are just some of thousands of incendiary comments that lawyers have been making and are making on the JAAB Blog located at http://jaablog.jaablaw.com/ at which Conway made his.
William Jay Gelin is a Broward lawyer who owns and operates this judge defamation site and whose Bar Number is 490229. Mr. Gelin routinely publishes comments by other Florida lawyers who anonymously accuse sitting judges and other legal officers of illicit, illegal, and criminal activities. If Sean Conway is to be punished for his signed comments, Mr. Gelin absolutely has to be punished as well. Gelin published Conway’s comments at his blog. Further, as indicated, Gelin publishes even worse.
Please take a look at Bar Rule 4-8.4(a). Apparently the legal geniuses at The Florida Bar don’t understand it, but this court will. It states that any lawyer who assists another in violating our Rules is to be punished for that aiding and abetting of another lawyer. Thus, if the court is going to consider whether Mr. Conway can say and write certain things on Mr. Gelin’s blog, then the court must address whether it is going to shut down (or not shut down) through its Bar-advocated thought police powers the entire blog of Mr. Gelin, because, trust me, far worse than what Mr. Conway wrote is what weekly appears at lawyer Gelin’s lawyer rumor mill. The First Amendment makes for messy stuff. Does this court actually think The Bar can whack Sean Conway but not others who publish incredible things about other judges with no shred of proof for their allegations?
And what this court further needs to know from this intervenor is that The Florida Bar knows all about the damage being done to the public’s perception of the judiciary at Mr. Gelin’s site (as The Bar defines “damage” to “judicial independence,” etc.), and yet The Bar turns a blind eye to this wholesale daily assault upon the judiciary at Gelin’s site because it knows it does not have enough fingers to stick into the leaking dyke. So, as an act of unconstitutional selective prosecution, it goes after Sean Conway because he is easy pickings. The Bar hopes to terrorize all of us by terrorizing Mr. Conway.
To the immediate south of Mr. Gelin is someone who runs a legal community blog even worse than Mr. Gelin’s in that it is run by a reckless coward who does so anonymously. It is at http://justicebuilding.blogspot.com/.
The clown who operates this Miami-Dade lawyers’ site has written that he does not have the courage to let anyone know who he is because he knows what the consequence of identifying himself would be professionally. The Florida Bar actually encourages this dangerous anonymous coward who uses the pseudonym “Rumpole” and the e-mail address howardroark21@gmail.com with a fake name embedded therein in turning its blind eye to libel posted thereat.
The Bar does not mess with this fellow because it uses this site to harm others.
For example, during the undersigned’s Bar “trial” before the oathless “Judge” Tunis, The Bar directed its Bar prosecutor Barnaby Min, in the Miami office, to publicly post false and defamatory comments about the undersigned. They are actionable as libel. Whatever The Bar wants to get out there about someone it targets, it puts it out on the Justice Building Blog.
Surely, there can be no prosecution by The Bar of Mr. Conway through the instant action when The Bar itself refuses to do anything about the Florida Bar member, “Rumpole,” who runs the Justice Building Blog and publishes as his own comments things like the following post on July 22, 2008:
Broward judges want to send every client who comes before them to state prison. Napoleon Broward just wanted to send all African Americans to a colony purchased for them for the purposes of keeping the races pure and separate. Since most defendants Broward Judges send to prison are African American, perhaps the statue is a good thing, as it appears Napoleon Bonaparte Broward is getting his wish, albeit a hundred or so years later than he wanted.
Why are we not surprised that of all the possible persons significant in the history of Florida and this nation, that the powers that be north of the border put a statute [sic] of a racist in their courthouse?
Of course they named the whole damn county after this racist, so why would anyone be surprised at anything that happens up there?
See you in court, just not in certain courts, and now you know why.
Posted by Rumpole at 4:52 PM
http://justicebuilding.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html
Great, according to lawyer Rumpole, the entire Broward Circuit Court is racist. Fabulous. How does that compare in harm done to what Sean Conway said about one judge? Answer: It doesn’t, and The Bar knows it. But “Rumpole” is an untouchable because his defamations are useful to The Bar, by The Bar’s calculation. What we really need is not a prosecution of Sean Conway but a prosecution of Bar officials for impersonating Bar officials.
Chief Justices and Justices of the Florida Supreme Court, the below intervenor movant suggests, with all respect, that this court must make a decision: Either to stand consistently with the hurly burly of the First Amendment or go further down the road, as The Florida Bar would have you do, of trying to regulate thought and utterances through vague speech codes that invariably are going to be applied based upon not what one says but based upon who one is.
Roy Black, “The Best Lawyer in Florida!” according to The Miami Herald (how in the world would that paper know that since it has no idea what good journalism is?), gets to go on national television and mercilessly rip sitting judges in Florida with language that makes Sean Conway look like a shrinking violet and yet, hey, nobody at The Florida Bar messes with Roy Black
because, hey, Roy represents sexual predators in the politically-correct Kennedy family.
Nobody at The Bar messes with an anonymous coward lawyer by the name of “Rumpole” whose identity is known to The Bar or could easily be known with one subpoena who suggests that Broward judges are racists (see above), but, hey, nobody at The Bar messes with this guy because The Bar uses that particular blog to harm people The Bar wants harmed. Is anybody on this court following this?
And nobody at The Bar messes with Florida lawyer Bill Gelin because, hey, if The Bar were to mess with that guy then all Hell might break loose! A whole bevy of lawyers might understand then, as they do not now, that what The Florida Bar is doing is picking off what it perceives to be vulnerable lawyers who dare speak the truth about corrupt, incompetent, or wacky judges so that all 89,000 of us lawyers out here are intimidated by The Bar’s Jack Harkness, John Berry, and Ken Marvin who are at the head of Justice Douglas’ “goose-stepping brigades” predicated in Lathrop v. Donohue.
A choice must be made: Does the First Amendment exist in Florida or not?
The undersigned wishes to intervene in this action, and the court must allow him to do so as he has far, far more at stake than does Mr. Conway in this analysis and adjudication of the First Amendment.
How out of touch with reality and the law and the Constitution is The Florida Bar? Just ask Michigan lawyer Geoffrey Fieger was exonerated by a federal district court for his comments about certain Michigan judges, and yet The Florida Bar has now reprimanded him for the same comments.
If this court is actually serious about interpreting Florida Bar Rule 4-8.2(a) in some fashion that seeks to punish lawyers for fact-based speech, such as the intervenor’s, and plans not to take into account the salutary effect of open discourse in the public square about the foibles of judges who are mere human beings, then may God save this court.
You can’t have the actions of judges protected in the shadows by a Bar that acts as if the only acceptable comments about judges entail giving them honorary degrees at Stetson commencement ceremonies. This is the Sunshine State which has a Sunshine Law. Let the sun shine in, and may The Florida Bar’s efforts to repeal the First Amendment meet the same fate as Mr. Gorbachev’s Wall.
WHEREFORE, Thompson moves this court to grant his motion to intervene.
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing has been mailed this August 9, 2008, to Jack Harkness, The Florida Bar, 651 East Jefferson St., Tallahassee, Florida 32399.
You didn't 'Speak (what you believe to be) the truth to Power' Jack.
You faxed it to them. Sometimes 40 Times a day.
And their families.
And their workmates.
And then you started writing to the families of people who had sacrificed themselves to save another, less than a week after they had died, accusing them of being a criminal...
This is not an uphill direction Mr Thompson.
@Jack Thompson:
I can't recall ever taking the time to thank you for all the endless entertainment you've provided me free of charge. More than a few times I've split my sides and damn near wet my pants laughing at your antics. And you continue to entertain me. For that, Sir, my sincere thanks to you. It's much appreciated.
And out of my indebtedness to you, let me spare you the suspense of waiting on the Supremes' response to your Motion to Intervene in Sean Conway's matter: the Court will certainly deny your Motion.
And I noticed that the Court granted the ACLU's amicus curiae application while denying your's. Don't take that personally, Jack. It likely has something to do with the fact that the attorney on brief for the ACLU isn't a complete raving lunatic and a nimcompoop. Like you are.
@Miami Rumpole:
I had absolutely no idea that whatever the Florida Bar wants to get out there about someone it targets, it puts it out on the Justice Building Blog.
Do you charge them for the service? Or is it a part of your pro bono publico service?
By the way, congratulations on your 1,000th post milestone. Keep up the good work.
good pleading jack! and of course this is about YOU. Narcissistic & delusional as usual. Buh Bye
@ Jack Thompson: Wow! You are getting funnier! I have to agree with JDKJ again, you are ENDLESSLY entertaining with your false info yet again. Accusing people of libel now? I'll tell you an old saying my grandmother used to tell me: "Don't throw stones at glass houses". Since I am sure you can't comprehend that, it means don't be a hypocrite
@ Jack Thompson:
Keep up with the funny filings. Endlessly entertaining! Now now did not lying get you into trouble to begin with...stop Jack, it will do you good
I hate you Scott Salomon from the depths of my soul. You ruined my life, and you ruined other people's lives. I will let the law take care of you. You think you are above the law. You are nothing but an scum. You are a lazy, fat slob with no regard for human kind. We will get you. Hope you like prison because that is where you are going.