Anti-tax Advocate Ficker's Law License Suspended
Anti-tax activist Robin Ficker's law license was suspended for at least a year, a Maryland court ruled in a decision released yesterday.
The Maryland Court of Appeals ruled 7-0 against Ficker on three complaints from clients who said he had failed to properly represent them in criminal cases. One of the judges, Dale R. Cathell, said he would have disbarred Ficker, saying his neglect of his clients was too extensive to warrant a lesser penalty.
"The hearing judge found that he exhibited incompetence, lack of diligence, failure to communicate with his client, and committed conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice," among other types of malfeasance, Cathell wrote.
"If disbarment is not warranted in this case for these types of issues....it never will be warranted," he continued.
The court's decision noted that Ficker, 64, had been cited four times before for failing to properly represent his clients.
Ficker, reached yesterday while following his exercise regimen of running up and down stairs at Cole Field House at the University of Maryland, was reluctant to comment on the court's ruling. But he said he had successfully handled more than 22,000 cases in his career, and noted the court had found fault with three.
"There is no appeal and it really doesn't do me any good to criticize the decision. It might even do harm. There is an old saying: adversity is like a cold and venomous toad which has a jewel in its head.'" He said he planned to sell real estate and would try to get his law license reinstated in a year. His brother Rodney will lead the small law firm, based in Bethesda, the brothers operate.
Robin Ficker said he also planned to continue trying to place anti-tax measures on the ballot in Montgomery County and throughout Maryland.
By |
June 8, 2007; 10:30 AM ET
| Category:
Miranda Spivack
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Posted by: Glen | June 7, 2007 7:12 PM
Just read the fifteen page opinion. Not pretty. I wonder if Ficker holds the record for sanctions in Md.
Judge Cathell said Ficker's practice had been plagued by incompetence for years. If a guy can't successfully run what seems to me to be a legal sweatshop, would you want him influencing public policy?
Posted by: Count Bobulescu | June 7, 2007 9:50 PM
I don't know anybody who has been as strong in opposing all the tax increases that have been and may be foisted upon us as Ficker. He needs to go back to Annapolis and tell them a thing or two.
Posted by: Flo | June 7, 2007 11:08 PM
Ficker can be no more incompetent than the current governor. At least he didn't LIE on his Bar application. That's gotta be worth something.
Posted by: BG from PG | June 8, 2007 2:20 AM
I chose Robin Ficker and Robin Realty to sell my house because he was the sexiest and smartest broker out there. Bingo! It worked. He didn't let me down. He could sell an icebox to a Greenlander pre-global warming.
Posted by: Mitzi G. | June 8, 2007 6:49 AM
Tyrants fear those they oppress.
Posted by: Harry Potter fan | June 8, 2007 9:27 AM
Tyrants fear those they oppress.
Posted by: Harry Potter fan | June 8, 2007 9:27 AM
Robin Ficker is a taxpayer's hero.
Posted by: Ficker fan | June 8, 2007 11:01 AM
Wow, Robin's using more aliases than usual today. Unfortunately, if I post publicly how I can definitively tell that he's behind these "supporters'" posts, he could change his tactics.
Posted by: The Cosmic Avenger | June 8, 2007 11:31 AM
We should probably stop the attacks on Robin Ficker. In the past, his rants have provoked me to write some scathing things on this blog, but now I have come to recognize that Robin should not be the target of my scorn, but the recipient of my pity.
It seems as if Robin may have issues that go beyond a radical view of politics, and more towards a Napoleanic complex. So instead of countering Robin (like shooting fish in a barrel), we should ignore him completely and maybe he will come to realize and seek out the real help he needs.
Posted by: Poor Robin | June 8, 2007 2:54 PM
I feel sorry for Mr. In Ficker. He is no longer aloud to ROB.
Posted by: In Ficker | June 8, 2007 4:54 PM
As usual the above types who are eager to take our tax money attack the messenger rather than the message. They believe in any free speech so long as it is their own and not the taxpayers'.
Posted by: Montgomery Countian | June 9, 2007 12:36 PM
Gadflys are of immeasurable value to a Democracy.
Posted by: Rufus | June 11, 2007 8:20 AM
Hey Ficker, you better get used to saying "get your hotdogs, get your red hots here!"
Posted by: Happy | June 11, 2007 8:43 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
Glad to hear it, Ficker is always spewing his repuglicon propaganda and is basically a fool in my opinion. Also, I have to consider his comment that the court has only found fault with the way he has represented clients three times a flat out lie. According to the article there were three complaints THIS TIME and that this is the fifth time the genius has been faulted for doing a pathetic job. Ficker must use fuzzy math, maybe next time he's asked he can break down the equation of how one gets cited five times for only three ocurrences. He's a liar and a propaganda spreading fool. One can only wish that he would just go away.