SATELLITE BEACH, Florida – Two Brevard County attorneys were disciplined by The Florida Bar due to the management of their law firms’ trust accounts.

James Bennett Coulter III (Admitted to practice: 2005),  who is located at 1402 Highway A1A, Suite A,  in Satellite Beach, Florida, had his suspended for one year followed by a two-year period of probation effective 30 days following a May 28 court order.

Coulter failed to maintain his law office trust account in substantial minimum compliance with required rules, The Florida Bar found.

He failed to adequately supervise his non-attorney staff and an independent contractor who maintained his financial records and, as a result, payments for operating and/or personal expenses were made from the trust account.

On two occasions during the audit period, client trust funds were deposited in error into the operating account.

No clients complained and Coulter deposited personal funds into the trust account to correct the shortages. (Case No: SC20-700)

Charles Emil Heim, Jr. (Admitted to practice: 1978),  who is located at 2040 Highway A1A, Suite 201, in Indian Harbour Beach, Florida, suffered disciplinary revocation of his license with leave to apply for readmission effective 30 days from a June 4 court order.

An audit of Heim’s trust accounts records for 2010-2019 showed they were not in substantial compliance with Bar rules, resulting in shortages.

Heim disclosed to The Florida Bar that he was unable to account for funds in excess of $196,000 and could not account for the assets of the trust, despite repeated requests from the Bar, nor did he maintain sufficient records. (Case No: SC20-462)