Disbarment recommended for lawyer accused of ramming car into rented vehicle on ex's driveway, spitting on cops
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A disciplinary referee is recommending immediate disbarment for a suspended Orlando, Florida, lawyer accused of ramming her car into a rented vehicle on her ex-husband’s driveway, breaking his girlfriend’s car windows and spitting on police.
Lawyer Francine Blair Bogumil, 40, allegedly told the ex-husband after the incident to “surrender” or face the consequences, texting him, “S- - - [is] bout to get ugly,” the Miami Herald reports, citing court documents.
Bogumil was suspended earlier this year after she pleaded no contest in the car damage case and an earlier incident in which she was accused of battery on a law enforcement officer, according to the referee’s May 3 report, available here.
She was sentenced to 51 weeks in jail in the car damage case and nine months in jail in the battery case—to run concurrently with the 51-week sentence.
According to the Miami Herald’s account of the April 30, 2020, incident, Bogumil rammed her Land Rover into the back of a rented white GMC Yukon in her ex-husband’s driveway, which pushed the SUV into the garage door.
Bogumil’s ex-husband said he came outside and saw Bogumil throwing objects at his girlfriend’s BMW sedan, breaking her car windows, the newspaper reports.
Bogumil allegedly slapped the ex-husband twice in the face, and he slapped her back once. The girlfriend said Bogumil yelled at her, “I will kill you, b- - - -!”
When a sheriff’s deputy who arrived on the scene told Bogumil to stop shouting, she allegedly replied, “No. F- - - you!” and spat at him.
After her arrest and release on bond, Bogumil allegedly violated a no-contact order.
In January 2021, Bogumil pleaded no contest to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, assault on a law enforcement officer, domestic violence battery, violation of a domestic violence restraining order, and criminal mischief. On March 25, she pleaded no contest to battery on a law enforcement officer.
The referee’s report said Bogumil has no prior disciplinary violations since her admission to the bar in 2006. She has a history of mental health and substance abuse issues for which she sought treatment after her arrest.
