JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — An attorney who began ghosting judges and paying clients last year will no longer be allowed to practice law.
According with a filing Thursday, The Florida Supreme Court revoked Buck’s law license, saying the disciplinary action was “tantamount to disbarment.”
Buck had been under investigation by the Florida Bar after it received more than 30 disciplinary complaints. His repeated absences threw court into disarray, with judges forced to reassign cases on the fly and inform his frustrated clients that it would be up to them to try to recoup legal fees.
Buck repeatedly ignored a direct order earlier this year to appear before Judge Robert Arias. When he did finally show, via Zoom, the judge called his behavior “simply reprehensible.”
“Your conduct has tarnished the profession in the eyes not only of your clients, but most importantly the community at large,” Arias said. “You have demonstratively misrepresented -- that's another way of saying ‘lying’ -- to this court. Not only to this court, but also to many of your clients. Needless to say, your actions are inexcusable, regardless of what issues you're going through, sir.”
Buck had filed a motion to voluntarily surrender his license, which ended the Bar investigations. He later filed to withdraw the request for, a move that infuriated the Bar.
“The Florida Bar finds the timing of the Notice of Withdrawal to be questionable at best, and, at worst, to be a blatant abuse of the legal process and misrepresentation to this court,” the bar wrote in its response, adding that it “appears ... [Buck] misused the disciplinary revocation process in an attempt to delay inevitable disciplinary action.”
Buck repeatedly declined to answer questions from First Coast News about his conduct.
The discipline takes effect within 30 days, though Buck will be allowed to seek readmission to the Florida Bar after five years.
