Merrell and Francine Vannier - Page 3

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          resided there ever since.  Petitioner never became licensed to              
          practice law in California.                                                 
               In 1980, the Florida Bar filed charges against petitioner              
          for conduct occurring during 1976.  The crux of the Florida Bar’s           
          allegations was that petitioner acted as “an undercover agent for           
          the Church of Scientology * * * [and] used his position as a                
          member of The Florida Bar for purposes contrary to the interests            
          of his clients and to his oath as an attorney and to the Code of            
          Professional Responsibility.”  The Florida Bar v. Vannier, 498              
          So. 2d 896, 897 (Fla. 1986).                                                
               In 1983, petitioner applied for admission to the California            
          Bar.  During 1984, petitioner sat for and passed the California             
          Bar exam.  As part of the application to the California Bar,                
          petitioner was required to undergo a moral character review                 
          conducted by the California Committee of Bar Examiners (the                 
          Committee).  By this time, the Florida Bar had not yet taken                
          action on the 1980 bar charges.  Consequently, the Committee                
          refused to make a determination on petitioner’s moral character             
          until the Florida Bar resolved those charges.  The Committee,               
          therefore, placed petitioner’s application on hold.                         
               During 1986, a disciplinary proceeding took place to rule on           
          the merits of the Florida Bar’s 1980 charges.  The referee                  
          overseeing the disciplinary proceeding recommended that                     
          petitioner be disbarred.  On November 26, 1986, the Supreme Court           





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