I’ve always believed that lawsuits should be about facts, fairness, and resolution—not personal attacks and intimidation. Unfortunately, not everyone plays by those rules.
In the federal case I’m currently involved in, the opposing counsel, L.A. Perkins, has repeatedly overstepped professional boundaries in ways that are not only unnecessary—but inappropriate.
Her latest move? Firing off a series of pointed questions about my assistant, Justin Mills. She asked whether he attended a specific law school. Then she wanted to know if he’s a member of any bar association. And when I clarified that Justin is my assistant, not a lawyer, she continued pressing—under the thinly veiled pretense of “concern.”
Let’s be honest: this isn’t about due process. This is about harassment. It’s an attempt to intimidate someone on my team by fishing for credentials that are irrelevant to the case. And it’s a misuse of legal procedure to target individuals simply for helping me prepare my case while I represent myself pro se.
I gave her a chance to stop. I wrote a formal warning, making it clear this behavior is offensive and unacceptable. I asked her to confirm she would refrain from future personal attacks.
She didn’t respond.
So I’m not staying silent. I’m filing a complaint with the Florida Bar. And I’m publishing this post to shine a light on the kind of bullying tactics that far too often go unchecked in our legal system.
When lawyers act this way, it erodes trust in the entire process. If you’re an attorney, you should advocate fiercely for your client—but within the ethical boundaries of civility and respect. That means you don’t get to target opposing parties’ assistants. You don’t get to abuse discovery to silence criticism. And you definitely don’t get to weaponize protective orders to prevent public discussion about a public court case.
Following the repeated harassment I described in my original post, I have now taken formal action. On July 31, 2025, I filed an ethics complaint with The Florida Bar against attorney L.A. Perkins.
This step was not taken lightly, but it became clear that her conduct—relentless inquiries into the personal background of my assistant, Justin Mills—crossed the line from professional disagreement into targeted harassment. Mr. Mills has no legal role in my case; he has never appeared before the court, signed any filings, or communicated on my behalf. Yet, despite multiple written clarifications, Ms. Perkins persisted in her attempts to pry into his background, insinuate wrongdoing, and create a chilling effect on anyone assisting me in this litigation.
In the complaint, I documented a pattern of emails in which Ms. Perkins demanded to know whether Mr. Mills attended law school, his bar membership status, and other irrelevant personal details. After I made it abundantly clear that these questions were inappropriate and offensive, she still refused to stop. This conduct violated multiple Florida Bar Rules of Professional Conduct, including those governing respect for third parties, fairness to opposing parties, and conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.
By filing this complaint, I am seeking accountability—not just for myself and my team, but for the principle that attorneys must not weaponize their position to intimidate non-parties. Harassment of assistants and supporters has no legitimate place in the legal process. My hope is that the Bar will investigate this conduct and send a clear message that such behavior is unacceptable within the practice of law.
I will continue to speak truthfully and publicly about what’s happening in this case—because that’s what the First Amendment is for. And because the legal system doesn’t just belong to lawyers. It belongs to all of us.
