Disciplinary actions.

The Florida Supreme Court in recent court orders disciplined 23 attorneys, disbarring three, suspending 14, placing three on probation, reprimanding six, and ordering three to pay restitution. Some attorneys received more than one form of discipline.

The following lawyers are disciplined: Charles Guy Batsel, P.O. Box 363, Placida, suspended for three years effective immediately pursuant to a November 15 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1973) In July, Batsel was convicted of operating a vessel under the influence, a second-degree misdemeanor. The court then withheld adjudication on the count of possessing a controlled substance, a third-degree felony. A third charge was dropped. (Case No. SC07-1407)

Michael Allen Bryant, 5300 N.W. 33rd Ave., Suite 217, Ft. Lauderdale, suspended for 18 months, effective 30 days from a November 15 court order and ordered to pay restitution of $6,120.92. (Admitted to practice: 1997) Bryant committed multiple ethical violations in acting as a closing agent for transactions involving the sale of a client's home by failing to disburse money in accordance with the closing statement, by failing to apply funds entrusted to him for the purposes for which they were entrusted, and by failing to promptly give the client the money he owed her. He also failed to see that a second mortgage was duly recorded and participated as the settlement agent in what amounted to a fraud on his client. (Case No. SC06-2161)

Andrew Alexander Byer, 1 E. Broward Blvd., Suite 700, Ft. Lauderdale, suspended for three years, effective retroactively to June 20, 2006, according to a November 1 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1989) In 2006, Byer was convicted of misprision of a felony for delivering money and buying drugs on behalf of an acquaintance on one occasion in 1996 and delivering drugs on another occasion in 1997. He served four months in prison, four months house arrest, and four months probation. (Case No. SC06-2128)

Laureen Adele Cameron, 1800 2nd St., Suite 710, Sarasota, to receive a public reprimand from The Florida Bar Board of Governors; placed on probation for two years effective immediately; and directed to complete The Florida Bar's trust accounting workshop, following a November 21 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1992) Cameron failed to diligently and competently represent and communicate with a client who was seeking repayment of a loan in one case and attempting to set aside a judgment from an insurance company in another. Additionally, Cameron failed to respond to a Bar subpoena for trust account records and violated Bar rules regulating trust accounts. (Case No. SC07-970)

Marshall Lawrence Cohen, 1412 Royal Palm Square Blvd., Suite 103, Ft. Myers, suspended for 90 days effective 30 days from a November 15 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1973) When U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services requested additional evidence for a client's visa extension petition, Cohen did not respond and the client's petition was denied, putting the client at risk of arrest and deportation. Neither did Cohen inform...