2. Bar complaints were filed in the Miccosukee case against Bernardo Roman and Jose "Pepe" Herrera. From the DBR:
The Florida Bar filed formal complaints against two Miami lawyers who represented the Miccosukee tribe, alleging they knowingly made false and frivolous claims against former counsel for the tribe.
The complaints against Bernardo Roman III ( read the Roman complaint here) and Jose "Pepe" Herrera ( read the Herrera complaint here) ask the Florida Supreme Court to consider disciplining the attorneys for pursuing meritless claims, withholding evidence and even making a false 911 call during litigation against Miami lawyers Guy Lewis and Michael Tein and their firm, Lewis Tein.
The Thursday filings are the latest development in a nasty saga that led to the tribe agreeing in May to pay $4 million to cover Lewis and Tein's attorney fees in three racketeering and malpractice lawsuits Roman pursued. The tribe cut ties with Roman last year.
"Each court that has examined this issue has determined that Roman's actions resulted from the bad blood, or personal animosity, held by Roman and the new tribal leadership against the former tribal administration and its associates, including Lewis and Tein," states one of the complaints filed by Florida Bar lawyer Jennifer Falcone in Miami.
3. Bitcoin is not money. From the MH:
But Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Teresa Mary Pooler ruled that Bitcoin was not backed by any government or bank, and was not “tangible wealth” and “cannot be hidden under a mattress like cash and gold bars.”
“The court is not an expert in economics; however, it is very clear, even to someone with limited knowledge in the area, the Bitcoin has a long way to go before it the equivalent of money,” Pooler wrote in an eight-page order.
The judge also wrote that Florida law — which says someone can be charged with money laundering if they engage in a financial transaction that will “promote” illegal activity — is way too vague to apply to Bitcoin.
“This court is unwilling to punish a man for selling his property to another, when his actions fall under a statute that is so vaguely written that even legal professionals have difficulty finding a singular meaning,” she wrote.
She has an economics degree from Smith.
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