ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — The former mayor and attorney of St. Augustine cannot practice law in Florida for the next five years.
The Florida Supreme Court revoked Joseph Lester Boles Jr.'s law license citing misconduct, alleging Boles drafted documents to name himself as a "personal representative or successor" to receive parts of a client's estate or trust.
In a news release Friday, the Florida Bar said that Boles failed to follow instructions for "several testamentary documents while serving as the trustee," and "sold a decedent's home to his daughter allegedly for lower than fair market value." Boles can reapply for readmission in five years.
Boles, who specialized in estate planning and elder law, served a 90-day suspension in 2023 after a judge determined he showed a "pattern of misconduct" in violating Bar rules governing conflicts of interest.
READ MORE: Former St. Augustine mayor, elder law attorney suspended for misconduct, conflicts of interest
The suspension came after the Florida Bar filed complaints against Boles when his clients accused him of misconduct.
Court records show Boles designated himself a surrogate designated beneficiary or backup successor trustee without receiving written consent from his clients. In one case, a woman alleged that Boles named himself a trustee of a trust, and his stepson and law partner was named a backup successor.
Boles contested that he had the client's permission to do so, but acknowledged he "failed to obtain the written informed consent...to appoint himself," as required by law.
Boles was one of 11 Florida attorneys disciplined by the Supreme Court between May 29, 2024, and June 26, 2024.
He served as the mayor of St. Augustine from 2006 to 2014.