AZ Sun Times: The Florida State Bar is pursuing disciplinary charges against decorated veteran Chris Crowley over remarks he made about his opponent Amira D. Fox in 2018 when he was campaigning against her for the Office of the State Attorney in Florida’s 20th Judicial Circuit. Most state bars have an ethics rule, adopted from the American Bar Association’s model rules, that restricts attorneys from criticizing public officials, candidates for office, and judges.
A Florida attorney familiar with the case, who preferred not to be identified due to fear of retaliation, told The Arizona Sun Times, “The Florida Bar is now a political organization dominated by the progressive left. The Florida Bar picks and chooses which political speech to go after, depending on who is politically connected. This is a disgrace to the legal profession.”
The source said Fox is part of the establishment.
Crowley was accused of violating Rule 4–8.2(a) of Rules Regulating the Florida Bar, which states, “A lawyer shall not make a statement that the lawyer knows to be false or with reckless disregard as to its truth or falsity concerning the qualifications or integrity of a judge, mediator, arbitrator, adjudicatory officer, public legal officer, juror or member of the venire, or candidate for election or appointment to judicial or legal office.”
The Florida Bar has taken a “strict anti-First Amendment stance,” according to Crowley’s attorneys at The Rutherford Institute, and calls for a one-year suspension of his license for “political speech.” Constitutional attorney John W. Whitehead, president of the group, said, “Nowhere in the First Amendment does it permit the government to limit speech in order to avoid causing offense or hurting someone’s feelings, protect government officials from criticism, penalize hateful ideas, combat prejudice and intolerance, and the like.” more here
In the same way people love to pretend that Texas is some bastion of liberty (LBJ, Connelly, Cruz, Perry, etc. as examples of their seriously poor choices), Florida isn’t either. The problem with these “professional organizations” is that they have the power and violence of the government in the form of “professional licensure” requirements, that enable them to violate the rights of others with impunity. Get rid of government and the problem goes away overnight.
loyuhs won’t tolerate criticism, they bez too impotent
MrLiberty MONDAY, 27 NOVEMBER 2023, 12:17 AT 12:17 PM…you’ve been on a roll and I agree wholeheartedly. I have grown to hate these bastards with a passion.
America’s Constitution was abrogated 10/26/01. The so called “Patriot Act” said , among many other things, There is no more free speech! Which is why GWB’s D. Petraeus brok down the door, stole his firearms, and arrested without warrant put in jail without habeas corpus a man who lived near me for “inciting Benghazi Gate”!
Of course “NO STANDING” WAS AT LEAST CONSISTENT. His rulings in ’05 said the only use for the Constitution was tp; in ’12 he again said Constitution is void!
Which in fact it has been for 22 years!