Roger Rathbun Went From Being A Bullying Foreclosure Mill Attorney To A Disbarred Homeless Addict  

Former Kronenberg Kelly attorney Roger Rathbun was on top of the world 10 years ago. Every foreclosure mill in Florida wanted him and they paid through the nose to get him. They brought him in on difficult foreclosure cases. 

Rathbun knew what he was doing. He also knew how to bully and intimidate opposing counsel and get away with it. In addition, he was also loud and obnoxious. He would filibuster opposing counsel to the point of capitulation. 

Roger Rathbun was also a major asshole. He knew he was and he didn’t care. He knew how to use it to his advantage and he did. 

Roger Rathbun Pisses Off The Wrong Person And Gets Himself In Trouble with The Florida Bar

In June 2018, Rathbun sent an email to opposing attorney Jay Farrow in Miami Case No. 2009-4414-CA-01. This email was the first domino to fall in Rathbun’s downfall. 

Rathbun falsely accused opposing lawyer of fraud on the court in the email. He claimed he had a copy of a pro-se Motion to Dismiss from Farrow’s client to dismiss an appeal Farrow had pending in the case.

In the email exchange, Rathbun then threatened to have Farrow disbarred. As a result Farrow filed a grievance against Rathbun with the Florida Bar.

Roger Rathbun Threatens Farrow For Filing Bar Complaint 

Several weeks later, the Florida Bar sent Rathbun a copy of the complaint and asked him for a response.

Although, Rathbun failed to respond to the Florida Bar in a timely manner, he did whip out a series of emails to Farrow accusing of Farrow of failing to disclose to the Florida Bar an alleged “Disorderly Intoxication” citation Farrow received.

In the emails, Rathbun threatened to send the alleged police report and mugshot to the Florida Bar.

However, Rathbun continued blasting out emails. He then sent more emails to Farrow and his co-counsel in  case #2009-4414-CA-01, Jonathan Kline accusing Farrow of having 15 arrests in the 1990s.

Yet, Rathbun wasn’t done. He kept making crazy claims against Farrow.

Rathbun sent Kline emails also accusing Farrow raping young girls and threatened to send the alleged police reports to all of Farrow’s clients. 

The Florida Bar did not find Rathbun’s intimidation tactics amusing.

Nearly a month after his answer to the Bar Complaint was due, Rathbun filed an answer.

Rathbun admitted sending the emails under oath. He also admitted he thought he could include them because they were public records. However, the Florida Bar wasn’t buying it. They saw the emails for what they were – bullying and harassment. 

During Florida discipline hearings, Rathbun claimed he was under a lot stress. He claimed he going through a divorce with his wife of 18 years. He also claimed his house was in foreclosure. 

However, Rathbun denied having any substance abuse problems. 

The Florida Bar suspended Rathbun for one year effective January 9, 2020. He then requested a re-hearing.

The Florida Bar Busts Roger Rathbun For Committing UPL

Less than 2 months after being suspended, the Florida Bar discovered Rathbun had filed a “Notice of Charging Lien on a Judgment: Attorney’s Notice of Intent to File Lien” in a case where he had previously appeared as counsel.

The suspended lawyer signed his name as “Roger S. Rathbun, Esq.” and listed his Bar Number on his signature block. This pleading was signed after Rathbun’s suspension. By filing the charging lien, referring to himself as an attorney, and using both his bar number and the designation “Esq.”, 

In March 2020, the Bar made a disturbing discovery. They discovered Rathbun had covered a mediation on behalf of Attorney Dashia Trowers.

Trowers told the Florida Bar that the suspended lawyer never informed her or opposing counsel of his suspension. 

Rathbun tried weaseling out of the UPL charges by claiming that his attorney told him in so many words that he could still practice law. A statement his attorney denied making. 

By thumbing his nose to the Florida Bar, Rathbun only made things worse for himself. The Florida Bar’s one-year suspension of Rathbun’s law license turned into a permanent disbarment in August 2021.

Roger Rathbun’s Personal Life Is A Burning Ring Of Fire

In 2019, Roger Rathbun’s legal career was in chaos and his personal life wasn’t far behind. 

As he told the Florida Bar, he and his wife were divorcing. It must have been one crazy divorce because it drove Rathbun into nether regions of the Twilight Zone.

In July 2019, the Plantation Police issued a Risk Protection Order barring Rathbun from owning or being in possession of a fire arm under FS790.401. 

On December 29, 2019 at 2;30am, Rathbun was pulled over by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office in Sunrise for DUI. A deputy witnessed him run a red light. Sheriff’s Deputies discovered Rathbun had did not have insurance or a current registration. The Deputy then detained Rathbun and took him to the BSO’s BAT facility for testing where he was uncooperative and combative. 

Rathbun being the learned professional he is and with the help of COVID-19, was able postpone hearings. The Court finally put Rathbun on probation on December 20, 2020 for Reduced/Amended Reckless Driving which required him to attend daily AA meetings and take a court supervised urine test. It also barred him from possessing a firearm.

The ink was barely dry on Rathbun’s probation when he started violating the order. In February 2021, Rathbun was busted being drunk and being possession of a  177 caliber Swiss Arms TG-1 rifle. He was also in possession of an FIE Muzzle Loader Firearm. In addition, he was already delinquent on his court payments. 

The Drunk Craziness Of Roger Rathbun Get Worse

On April 21, 2021, Police arrested an apparent drunk Rathbun for trespassing. Police records show he refused to leave an Outback Steakhouse in Plantation. 

Several months later, Wilton Manors Police were called when Rathbun was busted exposing himself and urinating on a tree.

Witnesses also he was harassing patrons inside the now-closed Landlubbers. 

An apparently drunk Rathbun claimed his blue Ford Mustang had been stolen. Yet, he and the Wilton Manors police officer soon found it at the other end of the parking lot.

Officers tried to convince Rathbun to either walk home or get a ride. Rathbun refused and insisted on sleeping in his car. 

Wilton Manors Police had to forcibly remove Rathbun from his car. Consequently, placed him under arrest and transported him to the Broward County Jail. 

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