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Time for A Long Vacation

There are many attorneys in public life who I enjoy reading and writing about. In terms of sheer hilarity, I would have to put former North Miami City Attorney Barry Kutun near the top of my list.

It's not just the shocking lack of judgment, but the details were just so much fun. Alleged pictures, hush money, the fact that Kutun himself apparently had the affidavit documenting the allegations prepared (and notarized at North Miami City Hall), the wife, etc.

Oy veh, Barry!

So it is with a touch of sadness that we bid Barry good bye and farewell:

The Florida Bar on Thursday announced that the state Supreme Court has disciplined a former North Miami city attorney who pleaded guilty last year to charges related to having sex with a 16-year-old prostitute.

Barry Kutun, 66, will not be able to practice law until October 2009. His law license will be reinstated then, but he will be on probation with the court for three more years.

Kutun, a former state representative and candidate for Miami Beach mayor and Florida governor, was arrested in 2006 for having consensual sex with an underage prostitute at his mid-Miami Beach condo.

Hollywood authorities also took part in the investigation because some of Kutun's trysts with the teen happened in Broward County. Kutun had maintained he thought the girl was an adult.

Kutun was fired from his $170,000-a-year job as North Miami city attorney after prosecutors filed charges.

Kutun accepted an agreement with prosecutors last year in which he pleaded guilty to child abuse in exchange for house arrest and probation but no prison time. A judge withheld adjudication, which means Kutun is not a felon, but he was required to enter a sex-offender treatment program.

Kutun's attorney said in September 2007 that his client has no plans to run for public office again.

''His days of service to the community are over,'' attorney Richard Sharpstein said.

Spoken with such understatement, Richard. But please -- say it ain't so!

Full post as published by South Florida Lawyers on March 14, 2008 (boomark / email).