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Florida Bar Disbars Pasco Attorney

Lawyers | Attorneys | Scales of Justice

The Bar also suspended a Tampa attorney.

TAMPA BAY – The Florida Bar has disbarred a Trinity attorney and suspended a Tampa attorney for three years.

The two Tampa Bay lawyers are part of a group of 20 from across the state the Bar announced it has recently disciplined.

Constantine Kalogianis of Trinity in Pasco County was disbarred effective 30 days from a May 25 court order, according to the Bar. Kalogianis, who was admitted to practice in 1993, was accused of borrowing more than $225,000 from a client’s inheritance for real estate development and giving $35,000 from the funds to his paralegal. Subsequently, Kalogianis decreased the monthly payments to the client and then stopped making payments on the loan.The Bar said he showed a “pattern of misconduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation regarding the loan agreement.”

Joe Manuel Gonzalez of Tampa was suspended for three years, effective retroactive to Dec. 3, 2016, after a May 4 court order. Gonzalez, who was admitted to practice in 1981, pleaded and was adjudicated guilty to the felony charge of structuring financial transactions to avoid currency requirements, which violated a federal law, the Bar said.

As an official arm of the Florida Supreme Court, the Florida Bar and its Department of Lawyer Regulation are charged with administering a statewide disciplinary system to enforce Supreme Court rules of professional conduct for the 104,000-plus members of the Florida Bar. Key discipline case files that are public record are posted to attorneys’ individual online Florida Bar profiles. To view discipline documents, follow these steps. Additional information on the discipline system and how to file a complaint are available at floridabar.org.

Court orders are not final until time expires to file a rehearing motion and, if filed, determined. The filing of such a motion does not alter the effective date of the discipline. Disbarred lawyers may not re-apply for admission for five years. They are required to go through an extensive process that rejects many who apply. It includes a rigorous background check and retaking the bar exam. Historically, less than 5 percent of disbarred lawyers seek readmission.

For information about the Florida Bar, go to floridabar.org.

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