The Florida Bar v. Jameison

426 So. 2d 16, 1983 Fla. LEXIS 2284
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedJanuary 13, 1983
Docket59587
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 426 So. 2d 16 (The Florida Bar v. Jameison) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
The Florida Bar v. Jameison, 426 So. 2d 16, 1983 Fla. LEXIS 2284 (Fla. 1983).

Opinion

426 So.2d 16 (1983)

THE FLORIDA BAR, Complainant,
v.
John H. JAMEISON, Jr., Respondent.

No. 59587.

Supreme Court of Florida.

January 13, 1983.

John F. Harkness, Jr., Executive Director and Stanley A. Spring, Staff Counsel, Tallahassee and David G. McGunegle, Bar Counsel, Orlando, for complainant.

Nolan Carter, Orlando, for respondent.

PER CURIAM.

This lawyer-discipline proceeding is before the Court on the complaint of The Florida Bar, the report of a referee, and the petitions of both parties for review. We have jurisdiction. Art. V, § 15, Fla. Const.

The Bar brought its complaint in six counts. The referee found respondent not guilty on three of the counts, and the Bar has not sought review of those determinations. The remaining three counts, upon which the referee found respondent guilty of misconduct, all arose out of respondent's relationship with one elderly client. The respondent has petitioned for review of the referee's findings of fact. The Bar has petitioned for review of the referee's recommended discipline of one year's suspension, and recommends that respondent be disbarred.

The referee recommended that respondent be found guilty of violating Florida Bar Code of Professional Responsibility, Disciplinary Rules 1-102, 2-106(A) and (B), 5-104(A), 6-101(A)(3), and 7-101(A)(3), based on the following findings of fact:

1. Respondent, John H. Jameison, Jr., is, and at all times hereinafter mentioned, was, a member of The Florida Bar, subject to the jurisdiction and discipline rules of The Supreme Court of Florida.

2. In the spring of 1978, Mr. Andrew G. Hvolbek attended a Masonic Lodge meeting in Mt. Dora, Florida, where he heard the respondent make a speech. He was very much impressed with respondent's personality at that time. Mr. Hvolbek was approximately 88 years old. In late 1980, after these proceedings were commenced, Mr. *17 Hvolbek became incompetent and remains so. He had been a Mason for over 60 years and was devoutly committed to the principles of Masonry and its members.

3. Upon hearing the respondent speak so well concerning the teachings of Masonry, Mr. Hvolbek decided he would seek respondent's services regarding an insurance problem. He wrote to respondent over a period of several weeks seeking his services regarding the insurance problem as well as the dissolution of a trust in a local bank, the making of a new Will, and the distribution of certain gifts of money to various organizations and persons. Finally, the respondent got in touch with Mr. Hvolbek in the early part of August, 1978.

4. Upon the first meeting of the parties, Mr. Hvolbek was so taken with the respondent's personality he revealed his complete financial picture to the respondent. He had approximately $47,000.00 in a trust account and savings account. Mr. Hvolbek wanted the respondent to run against Richard Kelly in the next election. He offered respondent $25,000 for his campaign if he would run against Kelly and then, later, respondent would become President of the United States. He also wanted to liquidate his trust with a local bank so as to make gifts to Masonic organizations, individuals and relatives.

5. Respondent refused to consider running against Richard Kelly; however, he then told Mr. Hvolbek about a plan respondent and his wife had about wanting to establish a foundation to help youthful offenders. Mr. Hvolbek thought that the plan was a great idea and would fit within the teachings and ideology of Masonry. Respondent suggested Mr. Hvolbek make a gift of $20,000.00 to be used as seed money for the foundation which was done.

6. The evidence reveals at the time the parties met in August, 1978, the respondent was practicing law in Orlando and had, up until recently, been practicing law in Mt. Dora, Florida, for approximately three years and had been quite active in civic affairs in that community. He was married to a professional faith healer. He also conducted a talk show from a radio station in Orlando for several months. The respondent and his wife were living in Orlando, Florida, in the Presidential Suite in a local highrise complex overlooking Lake Eola. He maintained his law office and living quarters in the Presidential Suite. Both husband and wife worked closely together in the conduct of a counseling and faith healing business in the apartment.

7. Immediately after the first conference between Mr. Hvolbek and the respondent, the respondent apparently put everything aside to devote to the wishes and business of Mr. Hvolbek. Many conferences were conducted in the Jameisons' apartment between the parties. Mr. Hvolbek was invited from time-to-time to spend the night in the apartment so that details could be worked out concerning the gifts, the making of a new Will and the setting up of the foundation. It is clear from the record and the reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom, the respondent had the complete trust and confidence of Mr. Hvolbek from the time he met him until the middle part of February, 1979.

8. In August, 1978, respondent arranged a separate bank account for Mr. Hvolbek to make gifts to several Masonic organizations, other individuals and a foundation to be established by the respondent.

9. On or about August 15, 1978, respondent and Mr. Hvolbek went to The First National Bank of Mt. Dora where they arranged for the revocation of Mr. Hvolbek's 1973 living trust and for liquidation of all of its assets. The trust's net proceeds as of the end of August were over $43,000. These assets were subsequently deposited in a special distribution account, number 39-5552, at the same bank. It was a joint account with right of survivorship in the names of the respondent and Mr. Hvolbek.

10. On or about August 18, 1978, Mr. Hvolbek executed a new Last Will and Testament prepared by the respondent as well as a document entitled "Special Distribution Account Instructions for Account No. 39-5552." Both documents were executed in the office of Charles E. Brooks, III, Trust *18 Officer of The First National Bank of Mt. Dora. Respondent received $975 in legal fees from the special account in August, 1978.

11. Article V of the new Will referred to the Andrew G. Hvolbek special distribution Account No. 39-5552 which latter document provided for several distributions to Masonic Lodges in New York and Florida as well as disbursement of $20,000 to the respondent to be utilized for humanitarian purposes through an organization yet to be established. The instructions also directed the respondent to distribute to himself such amounts as would compensate him for his professional services.

12. On or about October 17, 1978, Mr. Hvolbek executed a document entitled "First Amended Distribution Instructions for Account No. 39-5552," which, reduced two gifts and instructed respondent to reduce to a final bill, all past, present, and future professional fees. On or about October 26, 1978, Mr. Hvolbek executed a document entitled "Second Amended Distribution Instructions for Account No. 39-5552" which provided for a $5,000 disbursement to the respondent, who had previously received $975 in August, 1978, as compensation for all past, present and future services.

13. On January 22, 1979, Mr. Hvolbek executed a document entitled "Third Amended Distribution Instructions for Account No. 39-5552" which instructed the respondent to invest $10,000 in an interest earning six-month money market certificate to be purchased through a savings and loan association.

14. All of the aforementioned documents were executed in the offices of the trust officer of The First National Bank of Mt. Dora.

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426 So. 2d 16, 1983 Fla. LEXIS 2284, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/the-florida-bar-v-jameison-fla-1983.