Florida Bar Urged to Hold Cheney Mason Accountable for Obscene Gestures

While things are looking brighter for Casey Anthony, her attorney Cheney Mason could be in some hot water. John Jack Thompson, an activist and attorney who was disbarred by the Florida Supreme Court in 2008, sent a letter to Ken Marvin, the director of lawyer regulation at the Florida Bar, complaining about a photo of Mason making obscene gestures taken earlier in the month.

You may recall that a citizen who wandered into the State v. Anthony courtroom was held in contempt and sentenced to six days in jail for making the first of the above-noted gestures, so we have a ruling as to whether this is appropriate public behavior, wrote Thompson, who garnered some national attention by taking on violent video games. Please note that Florida Bar Rule 4-8, Maintaining the Integrity of the Profession, has been interpreted and applied by the Bar to bring within the scope of its disciplinary, regulatory powers theacts of lawyers outside a judicial proceeding. In other words, the Bars current regulatory policy is that even actions by lawyers in a private setting that reflect poorly on the profession are disciplinable. This was an obscene activity in apublic setting.

Indeed, current Florida Bar President Scott Hawkins stated, at his swearing-in at last weeksannual Bar convention right in Orlando:As lawyers we need to be mindful of how we talk to a waitress. Boys and girls are watching, added Thompson. In that vein, Mr. Mason has made two obscene gestures in a public restaurant, with the whole world, including boys and girls, watching. Does this promote a salutary public perception of lawyers? Is the Bar going to look the other way and not enforce its rules as it has applied them to others, just because Mr. Mason won his case? Or is it going to do what it has to others, even to the point of disbarring lawyers for warning the public of a safety hazard by telling the truth on CBSs '60 Minutes'?

The whole world is watching the Florida Bar on this one, insisted Thompson in closing.

UPDATE:

Thanks to Ken Ward for the following:

Karen Kirksey, spokeswoman for the Florida Bar, said no formal complaint concerning Mason had been received as of Thursday afternoon and that the Bar had no comment.

"Any information in a complaint is confidential until a case is closed," she said.

Noting that Thompson has been "permanently disbarred," Kirksey added, "Anyone can file a complaint. Even if it's not true."

Kirksey said Marvin was on vacation.