On Wednesday, August 7, 2024, the Miami Herald reported that former Coral Gables attorney Miguel Mirabal was disbarred by the Florida Supreme Court for committing multiple acts of misconduct in his attempts to become a Miami-Dade County judge.

According to the Court documents, Mirabal ran for a Miami-Dade court seat in 2018 and twice applied to the local Judicial Nominating Committee seeking a judicial appointment, making inaccurate statements or omissions under oath in his application materials and financial disclosures each time. Mirabal was ultimately successful in his 2020 campaign and was sworn in as a County Court judge in January 2021.

However, his time on the bench was short-lived, as a Judicial Qualifying Commission investigation into his appointments process was launched the following month. Mirabal resigned from his judgeship in April 2021 after the probe began.

The documents state Mirabal pleaded guilty to consenting to a judgment, acknowledging he reported false information or did not fully disclose pertinent details in an effort to benefit himself during his three attempts to join the judiciary. He was originally facing a 90-day suspension and 18 months probation but the referee in the case expressed unease with that proposed punishment.

When the Florida Supreme Court rejected the initial recommendation due to the seriousness of Mirabal’s repeated deceitful actions, a full evidentiary hearing was held. This led the referee to amend their view, finding Mirabal’s misconduct demonstrated a consistent disregard for honesty and integrity. The referee then recommended Mirabal be disbarred.

The Court documents also allege Mirabal threatened to file a grievance against the judge who made the initial complaint against him, Miami-Dade County Judge Milena Abreu, in an attempt to intimidate her.

In their defense, Mirabal’s attorneys argued the disbarment pushed for was too severe given his clean prior record, positive character references, and admission of remorse. However, the Supreme Court upheld disbarment as the appropriate penalty, rejecting any lesser suspension.

 

 

Source: Miami Herald