Busy Month In Florida

Highlights from the September 2025 Florida Bar disciplinary summaries

Erika Danielle De Jesus, 12301 Lake Underhill Rd., Suite 213, Orlando, public reprimand to be administered in writing by the referee and to be published in the Southern Reporter, attendance at Ethics School and Professionalism Workshop, and Completion of Continuing Legal Education Course: Annual Ethics & Professionalism: Scary Tales of Unprofessional & Unethical Conduct, effective within 30 days of an August 14 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 2018) De Jesus engaged in a conflict of interest when, after acting as a witness to the decedent’s Last Will and Testament, she purchased the largest asset of the estate, real property in Orlando, without negotiation of the sale price. De Jesus did not notify the court or the beneficiaries that she was the employee of the personal representative. (Case No. SC2024-1806)

Jay Lewis Farrow, 1 Alhambra Plaza, Suite Ph, Coral Gables, suspended until further order of the court effective immediately following an August 4 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 2003) Farrow was placed under emergency suspension for abandoning his clients and practice, taking excessive fees without providing any legal services, engaging in bad faith litigation tactics, and filing fraudulent pleadings in court. (Case No. SC2025-0863)

Tamara Grossman, 3301 N. University Dr., Suite 100, Coral Springs, suspended for 90 days and ordered to attend Ethics School effective one month following an August 7 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 2012) While working as an associate at a law firm, Grossman represented clients outside the firm without authorization from the firm. When confronted with the allegations of moonlighting, Grossman did not deny the conduct. Likewise, the files remained on Grossman’s desktop, which is how the firm learned of the outside clients. Grossman was terminated based on her misconduct. She acknowledged the wrongfulness of her conduct. (Case No. SC2025-1088)

Dorothy Kim Hufnagel, 4432 Commercial Way, Spring Hill, disciplinary revocation with leave to seek readmission effective 30 days following an August 7 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 2005) Hufnagel neglected several dissolution of marriage cases. Hufnagel took a fee in at least one case where she did not perform any work. In addition, Hufnagel was incarcerated after being found in civil contempt for her failure to pay court-ordered alimony to her former spouse. (Case No. SC2025-0890)

Robin E. Myers, P.O. Box 282, Bristol, suspended for 91 days and ordered to attend Ethics School effective 30 days following court order an August 14 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 2005) Myers engaged in three separate acts of misconduct. In the first matter, he failed to appear at multiple hearings on behalf of criminal clients. In the second matter, he engaged in inappropriate communications with a client. In the third matter, he failed to timely respond to multiple Bar inquires after a complaint was filed. (Case No. SC2023-0999)

Keith Allen Pope, 3226 Division St., Knoxville, TN, suspended for 91 days effective one month following an August 28 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 1986) This is a reciprocal case from Tennessee. Pope received a public censure. In Tennessee, where Pope resides, police officers responded to a domestic disturbance between Pope and his then girlfriend. A order of protection was previously entered against Pope where he was ordered to stay away from her home. As a result, Pope was arrested for violating an order of protection in Tennessee. Pope pled guilty to a violation of an Order of Protection in violation of his bond conditions. Pope was sentenced to six months in confinement, 1/3 to serve, and supervised probation after serving sentence. Pope did not participate in this proceeding. (Case No. SC2025-0349)

Kevin T. Vagovic, 210 S Beach St., Suite 203, Daytona Beach, suspended for two years, completion of Ethics School and Professionalism Workshop, completion of a Florida Lawyer’s Assistance, Inc., evaluation within 30 days of the court’s order and compliance with any recommendations for treatment. Vagovic’s suspension is effective immediately following an August 28 court order, as he was already suspended for failing to respond to the court’s Order to Show Cause. (Admitted to Practice: 2014) Vagovic engaged in acts of misconduct in connection with his representation of clients in two separate matters. In the first matter, he represented a mother and adult daughter in a dispute over real property and undermined their confidence in his representation by sending unsolicited sexually suggestive messages to one client and failing to appear for a hearing in the case. In the second matter, Vagovic failed to maintain communication with his clients in an unlawful detainer action and failed to appear in person for their trial, though his attendance was expressly required by the court. (Case No. SC2024-1815)

From the referee report

ln The Florida Bar File No. 2024-30,421 (78), Sherry Ellis and her adult daughter, Christine Paxton, hired respondent’s law firm to represent them in a foreclosure case and a quiet title defense action. Respondent sent Ms. Paxton a friend request through Facebook. Although Ms. Paxton initially declined the request, she felt pressure to accept respondent’s second request based on his status as her lawyer. Thereafter, respondent began sending Ms. Paxton late-night private Facebook messages and phone text messages that became more sexually suggestive and referenced respondent being under the influence of alcohol. ln some messages, respondent pressured Ms. Paxton to come to his house, late at night, to drink alcohol with him. ln one message’ respondent told Ms. Paxton he did not wear clothes to bed and asked Ms. Paxton to describe her sleep attire.

Stephen Everett Walker, 810 Saturn St., Suite 16, Jupiter, disciplinary revocation with leave to seek readmission effective immediately following an August 7 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 2001) Walker was found in civil contempt for filing joint tax documents without informing his former wife. He was also charged with the misdemeanor of trespass in a structure or conveyance (the state entered a nolle prosequi upon Walker’s successful completion of a deferred prosecution agreement). He had an injunction for protection against stalking entered against him and he was found to have filed frivolous and abusive claims in court against opposing parties and counsel. (Case No. SC2025-0946)