Rule 3-7.4 - GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE PROCEDURES(a) Notice of Hearing. The bar must provide a list of the grievance committee members with the notice of grievance committee hearing sent to the respondent.(b) Complaint Filed With Grievance Committee. A grievance committee that receives a complaint directly from a complainant must report it to the appropriate bar counsel for docketing and assignment of a case number, unless the committee resolves the complaint within 10 days after receipt of the complaint. A written report to bar counsel must include the following information: complainant's name and address, respondent's name, date complaint received by committee, copy of complaint letter or summary of the oral complaint made, and the name of the committee member assigned to the investigation. Formal investigation by a grievance committee may proceed after the matter has been referred to bar counsel for docketing.(c) Investigation. A grievance committee is required to consider all charges of misconduct forwarded to the committee by bar counsel, whether based on a written complaint or not. The grievance committee may issue subpoenas in accordance with Rule 3-7.11.(d) Conduct of Proceedings. The proceedings of grievance committees may be informal in nature and the committees are not bound by the rules of evidence.(e) No Delay for Civil or Criminal Proceedings. An investigation may not be deferred or suspended without the approval of the appropriate designated reviewer, even though the respondent is a party to civil litigation or is a defendant or is acquitted in a criminal action, even if the proceedings involve the subject matter of the investigation.(f) Counsel and Investigators. Staff counsel may appoint a bar counsel or an investigator to assist the grievance committee in an investigation, at the committee's request. Bar counsel will assist each grievance committee in carrying out its investigative and administrative duties and will prepare status reports for the committee, notify complainants and respondents of committee actions as appropriate, and prepare all reports reflecting committee findings of probable cause, no probable cause, recommended discipline for minor misconduct, and letters of advice after no probable cause findings.(g) Quorum, Panels, and Vote.(1)Quorum. Three members of the committee, 2 of whom must be lawyers, constitute a quorum.(2)Panels. The grievance committee may be divided into panels of not fewer than 3 members, at least 2/3 of whom must be lawyers. The grievance committee may be divided into panels only on concurrence of the designated reviewer and the chair of the grievance committee. The panel will elect 1 of its lawyer members to preside over the panel's actions. If the chair or vicechair is a member of a panel, the chair or vice-chair is the presiding officer.(3)Vote. All findings of probable cause and recommendations of guilt of minor misconduct must be made by affirmative vote of a majority of the committee members present, which majority must number at least 2 members. There is no required minimum number of lawyer members voting in order to satisfy the requirements of this rule. The number of committee members voting for or against the committee report must be recorded. Minority reports may be filed. A lawyer grievance committee member may not vote on the disposition of any matter in which that member served as the investigating member of the committee.(h) Rights and Responsibilities of the Respondent. The respondent may be required to testify and to produce evidence, as any other witness, unless the respondent claims a privilege or right properly available to the respondent under applicable federal or state law. The respondent may be accompanied by counsel. The bar must advise the respondent of the conduct that is being investigated and the rules that may have been violated at a reasonable time before any finding of probable cause or minor misconduct is made. The bar must provide the respondent with all materials considered by the committee and give the respondent an opportunity to make a written statement, sworn or unsworn, explaining, refuting, or admitting the alleged misconduct. (i) Rights of the Complaining Witness. The complaining witness is not a party to the disciplinary proceeding. The complainant has the right to be present at any grievance committee hearing when the respondent is present before the committee, unless found impractical by the chair of the grievance committee for unreasonable delay or other good cause. The bar's investigation will be completed, regardless of whether the complaining witness is uncooperative, delays, or notifies the bar of settlement or compromise with the respondent or that the respondent has made restitution. The complaining witness has no right to appeal.(j) Finding of No Probable Cause.(1)Authority of Grievance Committee. A grievance committee may terminate an investigation by finding that no probable cause exists to believe the respondent has violated these rules. The committee may issue a letter of advice to the respondent in connection with the finding of no probable cause.(2)Notice of Committee Action. Bar counsel must notify the respondent and complainant of the action of the committee.(3)Effect of No Probable Cause Finding. A finding of no probable cause by a grievance committee does not preclude the reopening of the case and further proceedings.(4)Disposition of Committee Files. The committee will forward its file to bar counsel for disposition under established bar policy.(k) Letter Reports in No Probable Cause Cases. Bar counsel will submit a letter report of a no probable cause finding to the complainant, presiding member, investigating member, and the respondent, including any appropriate documentation, explaining why the complaint did not warrant further proceedings. Letters of advice issued by a grievance committee in connection with findings of no probable cause must be signed by the presiding member of the committee. Letter reports and letters of advice do not constitute a disciplinary sanction.(l) Preparation, Forwarding, and Review of Grievance Committee Complaints. If a grievance committee or the board of governors finds probable cause, the bar counsel assigned to the committee must promptly prepare a record of its investigation and a formal complaint. The record before the committee consists of all reports, correspondence, papers, or recordings provided to or received from the respondent, and the transcript of grievance committee meetings or hearings, if the proceedings were attended by a court reporter. The committee may retire into executive session to debate the issues involved and decide the action to be taken. The formal complaint must be approved by the member of the committee who presided in the proceeding. The board prescribes the form of formal complaints. If the presiding member of the grievance committee disagrees with the form of the complaint, the presiding member may direct bar counsel to make changes. If bar counsel does not agree with the changes, the matter is referred to the designated reviewer of the committee for appropriate action. When a formal complaint by a grievance committee is not referred to the designated reviewer, or is not returned to the grievance committee for further action, the formal complaint must be promptly forwarded to and reviewed by staff counsel. Staff counsel must file the formal complaint and provide a copy to the respondent. Staff counsel must request the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Florida to assign a referee or to order the chief judge of the appropriate circuit to assign a referee to try the case. A copy of the record will be made available to the respondent at the respondent's expense. If, at any time before the filing of a formal complaint, bar counsel, staff counsel, and the designated reviewer all agree that appropriate reasons indicate that the formal complaint should not be filed, the case may be returned to the grievance committee for further action.
(m) Recommendation of Admonishment for Minor Misconduct. If the committee recommends an admonishment for minor misconduct, bar counsel drafts the grievance committee report, and the presiding member signs it. The committee report need only include: (1) the committee's recommendations regarding the admonishment, revocation of certification, and conditions of recertification; (2) the committee's recommendation as to the method of administration of the admonishment; (3) a summary of any additional charges that will be dismissed if the admonishment is approved; (4) any comment on mitigating, aggravating, or evidentiary matters the committee believes will be helpful to the board in passing on the admonishment recommendation; and (5) an admission of minor misconduct signed by the respondent, if the respondent has admitted guilt to minor misconduct. No record need be submitted with the report. After the presiding member signs the grievance committee report, the report is returned to bar counsel. The report recommending an admonishment must be forwarded to staff counsel and the designated reviewer for review. If staff counsel does not return the report to the grievance committee to remedy any defect, or if the designated reviewer does not present the report to the disciplinary review committee for action by the board, bar counsel will then serve the report on the respondent.(n) Rejection of Admonishment. The order of admonishment becomes final unless rejected by the respondent within 30 days after service upon the respondent. If rejected by the respondent, bar counsel will prepare a formal complaint as in a finding of probable cause.(o) Recommendation of Diversion to Remedial Programs. A grievance committee may recommend, as an alternative to issuing a finding of minor misconduct or no probable cause with a letter of advice, diversion of the disciplinary case to a practice and professionalism enhancement program as provided elsewhere in these rules. A respondent may reject the diversion recommendation in the same manner as provided in the rules applicable to rejection of findings of minor misconduct. In the event that a respondent rejects a recommendation of diversion, the matter is returned to the committee for further proceedings.Former Rule 3-7.3 renumbered as Rule 3-7.4 and amended March 16, 1990, effective 3/17/1990 558 So.2d 1008; amended July 23, 1992, effective 1/1/1993 605 So.2d 252;10/20/1994 644 So.2d 282;6/27/1996, effective 7/1/1996 677 So.2d 272;2/8/2001 795 So.2d 1;4/25/2002 820 So.2d 210;10/6/2005, effective 1/1/2006 SC05-206 916 So.2d 655;11/19/2009, effective 2/1/2010 34 Fla.L.Weekly S628a; amended July 7, 2011, effective 10/1/2011 67 So.3d 1037; amended September 7, 2023, effective 11/6/2023 SC22-1293.