Posted on

 January 24, 2013 in 

This came in today:

Hello to all,  

This is an announcement regarding ASA Peter A. Barone. On January 7, 2013 Peter A. Barone finished his final defense for his Ph.D. and was officially announced as Dr. Peter A. Barone.

Dr. Barone spent 5+ years obtaining his degree and would like to request that during formal court proceedings that you please refer to him by his proper and legal title, that being Dr. Barone. This request is similar to the manner in which the sitting judge is called Judge or Your Honor, or as his fellow attorneys are addressed as counselor or Mr. or Ms., and not by their first name during formal proceedings. 

Dr. Barone would like to thank his fellow colleagues for their cooperation in this matter in advance and realizes that at times it is difficult to remember a title change and is willing to assist by advising and correcting his colleagues during official proceedings of his new and permanent title if they inadvertently forget.     

Victor Garcia-Herreros
Legal Assistant for Dr. Peter Barone
State Attorney’s Office of Highlands County
411 S. Eucalyptus Street
Sebring, FL 33870
(863)402-6553
Fax: (863)402-6563

Here, rife with grammatical errors, is Barone’s bio. Before he defended his dissertation he was calling himself “Professor PETER A. BARONE, ESQ., Ph.D.(c), LL.M, JD, MSM, CPP.”

No self-respecting lawyer gives himself the honorific “Esq.”; there is something seriously wrong with a lawyer who not only insists on being called by an honorific that, outside of the academy, is traditionally reserved for physicians, but also will “assist by advising and correcting his [fellow] colleagues during official proceedings of his new and permanent title if they inadvertently forget.”

I could have great fun with this if he were in my jurisdiction.

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65 Comments

  1. Dr. Turk January 24, 2013 at 10:19 pm - Reply

    Since he already had a Juris Doctor, maybe he should ask to be called DoubleDoctor Asshat.

    • KJL October 5, 2019 at 12:00 pm - Reply

      I worked with him before and I think that an actual business in Texas would have no clue how anyone did their work in another state. If you want to speak rumors from unhappy people that can’t voice their own issues with Mr. Barone, you are showing your un- professionalism and lack of moral code. And if I lived in Texas I would never use you as an attorney, you have shown your lack of intelligence.

      • Mark Bennett October 21, 2019 at 6:56 pm - Reply

        Okay, “KJL.” I hope you never get in trouble in Texas, then.

  2. Robb Fickman January 24, 2013 at 11:07 pm - Reply

    I have never been to Sebring Florida but I would urge all there to call this guy by his given name
    ” Peter” which we all know is just another word for pecker.

    • Peter Conley August 15, 2013 at 6:21 pm - Reply

      Late to the party, but hey now, don’t do me like that.

  3. firehat January 24, 2013 at 11:11 pm - Reply

    He got his PhD from Internet college, he has the autobiographical style of someone who believes the Bushes are alien lizard-people, and he picked out the worst URL I’ve ever seen: https://professorpeterabaroneslawandcriminaljusticeconsulting.com/

    I may be most offended by that last one.

  4. Jason von Kreuzberg January 25, 2013 at 12:15 am - Reply

    now he’s going to have to register a new domain, doctorprofessorpeterabaroneslawandcriminaljusticeconsultingesquire.com

  5. Elizabeth Foley January 25, 2013 at 12:27 am - Reply

    Yeah, the “Esq.” thing does tend to serve as a nice little warning label.

    “Nurse Barone, we really need to discuss the…oh, that’s not it? Oops.”

  6. Ric Moore January 25, 2013 at 1:20 am - Reply

    And half the folks in prison claim to be a painter. Things that make you go “Huh?” :) Ric

  7. Justin T. January 25, 2013 at 1:58 am - Reply

    I say why not double down and get ordained online, and make everyone call him The Rev. Dr. Master Peter Barone, Esq.

  8. Mike Trent January 25, 2013 at 5:35 am - Reply

    Are you sure his assistant really wrote that/sent it out? It looks like the kind of thing Murray Newman used to write at the DA’s office when someone unwisely left their computer unlocked…

  9. Timothy P. Flynn January 25, 2013 at 6:29 am - Reply

    Definitely looks like a set-up. I’ll bet this pompous jerk [going by the bio] pissed someone off enough to motivate them to send out a bogus announcement.

  10. Ron in Houston January 25, 2013 at 7:30 am - Reply

    Actually, I’ve met several Nigerian lawyers that prefer the title Esquire. I don’t know if this is particularly relevant or not, but it is an observation I’ve made.

    So, who gets to make the call whether someone is a “self-respecting lawyer?”

    • Mark Bennett January 25, 2013 at 8:38 am - Reply

      If you have self-respect, you don’t need to refer to yourself by an honorific. Just being honorable is enough.

      It’s like a judge calling himself “The Honorable…”.

        • Tom Militano January 29, 2013 at 9:07 am - Reply

          Jeffrey,

          It’s interesting that Rehnquist would take that position given that he claimed apply, “The intent of the framers”. Article III, Section I says, “…The judges, both of the supreme and inferior courts, shall hold their offices during good behaviour, and shall, at stated times, receive for their services, a compensation, which shall not be diminished during their continuance in office.”

  11. Jules Morrison January 25, 2013 at 8:42 am - Reply

    He probably doesn’t care about being politically correct, which is a serious disease right now in our great nation!

    • Mark Bennett January 25, 2013 at 8:47 am - Reply

      I’m not sure what petulantly demanding that you be called “doctor” has to do with political correctness. Elaborate.

  12. Gideon January 25, 2013 at 8:57 am - Reply

    Actually, I’ve been on a years long crusade to get people to call me Doctor. I am a doctor, after all. A doctor of laws. YEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH.

  13. Mike Trent January 25, 2013 at 9:00 am - Reply

    I am actually going to legally change my first name to “Doctor”. Then you willl HAVE to call me that!!!

    • Mark Bennett January 25, 2013 at 9:08 am - Reply

      I suspect I will find something else to call you.

  14. Richard Albury January 25, 2013 at 9:22 am - Reply

    He has an AOL email address, too…

    The domain was registered 3 weeks after April 1st…

    Still smells like a hoax.

    Seems to be a real person, though:

    https://www.avvo.com/attorneys/33870-fl-peter-barone-1281026.html

    • Mark Bennett January 25, 2013 at 9:24 am - Reply

      I am suspicious of anything done within six months of April Fools Day, on either side.

  15. M. Stephenn Stanfield January 25, 2013 at 9:28 am - Reply

    The elected state attorney for that circuit is Jerry Hill. He know abouy the email; admits that it is genuine; and dreadfully embarrassed by it.

    I sent Barone a congratulatory email addressing him as ‘Pete.’

  16. Jordan Rushie January 25, 2013 at 9:40 am - Reply

    I want to see him correct a federal judge in court. That would be awesome.

    I don’t even have the cuts to correct them when they call me “Rushdie.”

    • Mark Bennett January 25, 2013 at 9:47 am - Reply

      In my experience, federal judges like lawyers with the backbone to challenge them. “It’s actually ‘rush-ee,” your honor. ‘ROOSH-DEE’ is just my straw man.”

  17. Simon Elliott January 25, 2013 at 9:47 am - Reply

    Why is a prosecutor permitted to shill his legal and consulting services? My employer is a major law firm and would never permit me to do this.

    Also, his bio has a prominent picture of New York. He is not licensed in NY, does not live in NY. Is this false advertising? Is he ashamed of Florida?

    • Mark Bennett January 25, 2013 at 9:48 am - Reply

      Is he ashamed of Florida?

      All that education must be doing some good.

      • Simon Elliott January 25, 2013 at 12:58 pm - Reply

        My point is that if he is a FL employee, it seems odd to put up a picture of NYC. If I worked for Coke, and consulted for the beverage industry, would my website prominently feature Pepsi?

    • Ron in Houston January 25, 2013 at 9:52 am - Reply

      Nah, two words – snow birds.

  18. M. Stephen Stanfield January 25, 2013 at 10:00 am - Reply

    Mr. Elliott, in Florida state employees are permitted to have second jobs as long as they do not interfere with their state jobs.

    In my jurisdiction, the Eighth Circuit, we have a prosecutor who is also the head bartender at one of the most popular bars in town that sits immediately across a major thorough from the University of Florida.

    • Simon Elliott January 25, 2013 at 12:55 pm - Reply

      Yes, and thats reasonable. Being a bar tender is not the sort of thing that would be likely to cause a conflict of interest, unless you were on the liquor licensing board.

      Being a prosecutor and consultant on all sorts of things: a little more difficult.

      Lets say want to knock out my competitor. I find some reason hire Barone as a “consultant” to see if he thinks that behavior X by my competitor is criminal. He concludes it is, and we see Barone brining a crmiinal case against my competitor. Barone can say he is just prosecuting crime where he sees it.

      Tell me now that there is no conflict of interest.

      • M. Stephen Stanfield January 26, 2013 at 9:16 am - Reply

        Where did I write, “I approve and believe Barone’s sideline is okay?”

        Dude, learn to read.

  19. Jordan Rushie January 25, 2013 at 10:02 am - Reply

    Thinking out loud here… I’d probably let him pull this schtick in front of the jury.

    “Mr. Barone…”
    “Actually, it’s DOCTOR Barone, counselor…”
    “Oh. Right. I’m sorry. Ladies, and gentlemen, I must apologize. Dr. Barone recently obtained his Ph.D. in (whatever). He has asked that me and the court refer to him as doctor. If I accidentally refer to him as “Mister” or “Counselor” please assume that I meant Doctor. It’s my mistake.”

    Then continue to call him “Mr. Barone” a few times and let him correct you. The jury will love him.

    • Mark Bennett January 25, 2013 at 10:05 am - Reply

      You’re not afraid to think out loud what everybody else is thinking to himself. That’s so adorable.

    • Theresa Mains January 25, 2013 at 10:44 am - Reply

      that is hysterical!! perfect for closing arguments!! But isn’t calling opposing counsel “dr” distracting to the jury and the court? The “dr” part could be misconstrued as some more intelligence, or expertise, or not…., but the proceeding has nothing to do w/ the CV of either attorney. One can’t say in open or close to the jury that they have a master’s or PHD in anything so a “Dr” title would be inadvertently communicating that same information, that is irrelevant to the trial/hearing, to the jury. Wouldn’t a judge have discretion to instruct both counsels that in the courtroom their role is counselor representing the state/client and therefore they are to be addressed as “counselor, “not Reverend, Doctor, Professor, or any other earned designation, title, that is not part of the role in the courtroom. Plus as one representing the state in proceedings, the “dr” is not part of the representation and the state should be able to tell this guy that any other designations etc are not part of the representation.

  20. Jules Morrison January 25, 2013 at 10:10 am - Reply

    I have to admit, it sounds a bit pompous, but you’ve got to give it to him, he had the guts to make such a demand!

  21. M. Stephen Stanfield January 25, 2013 at 10:12 am - Reply

    The chief administrative assistant state attorney in that office, Bryan Haas, has already stated that Barone will not be addressed as Dr.

    Barone though, in an email he sent me just this morning, is referring to himself as Dr.

    So whatever happens should be very entertaining.

  22. Thomas Ross January 25, 2013 at 11:56 am - Reply

    Apparently he’s a secret agent too. So that’s 007 Dr. Barone to you.

  23. Jack Wilkins January 25, 2013 at 12:01 pm - Reply

    I called the 10th Circuit State Attorneys Office and they confirmed it was not a prank and he would NOT be called doctor.

  24. Bill Poser January 25, 2013 at 1:02 pm - Reply

    One would think that someone who writes and speaks for a living and has received so many degrees would know such things as how to break a text into paragraphs.

  25. Bob Brandon January 25, 2013 at 1:55 pm - Reply

    What’s his Ph.D in? Advanced cranial recititis?

  26. Jeffrey Deutsch January 25, 2013 at 5:45 pm - Reply

    Speaking as a Ph.D. holder, I know Pete Barone is an asshat! Indeed, posts like this are why I don’t drink (anything at all) and surf the Internet at the same time.

    Like several other commenters here, I wondered if that announcement was a prank.

    Bill Poser: You learn how to break text into paragraphs in elementary school. You then unlearn it in graduate school. (And if you’re lucky and/or somewhat considerate, you re-learn it in the workaday world.)

    Jeff Deutsch

  27. Ron in Houston January 25, 2013 at 6:49 pm - Reply

    Mark – more of this, please? You’re blog is always interesting, but the LOL potential of this post has just been priceless. Kudos to your damn witty people that comment.

  28. Rolando January 25, 2013 at 7:45 pm - Reply

    Is Barone’s degree from this online program?

    https://www.capella.edu/online-degrees/phd-criminal-justice/

  29. Andrew Fine January 25, 2013 at 9:13 pm - Reply

    You are all just jealous. There isn’t a single Doctor / super spy / professor / lawyer / certified massage therapist / among you plebes. I’ll have you know these titles and honorifics don’t come easy. I sent $30 to the Universal Life Church. I taught some college classes. I went to law school. I got appointed to some sort of amorphous faculty position in a primarily French speaking jurisdiction. I got my face painted and rode on an elephant at age 5. What have YOU done???

    Respectfully,

    Reverend Professor J. A. Fine, Esq., J.D., M.C., King of the Circus (1976)

  30. Jennifer Davis January 25, 2013 at 10:22 pm - Reply

    This is by far the most hilarious blog I have read yet. I truly don’t understand how you a “Religious” Attorney with only a BA and JD can down grade another Attorney that has by far more education and experience then you. Based on the information you posted regarding Peter A Barone it is sad to say but YOU ARE JEALOUS!!

    PS, by the way, before I commented I made sure to research you and Peter A Barone. If anyone is interested in reading the true facts this is the website with the correct information.
    http://WWW.Professorpeterabaroneslawandcriminaljusticeconsulting.com
    *Let the facts speak for itself…

    • Mark Bennett January 25, 2013 at 10:35 pm - Reply

      Peter, thank you for commenting. You are free to be whomever you want here.

      • Jennifer Davis January 25, 2013 at 10:51 pm - Reply

        I don’t think a person of his status would waste his time responding to you.

        • Mark Bennett January 25, 2013 at 10:55 pm - Reply

          That’s funny, Peter. You’re so insecure in your status that when you got your mail-order PhD you had to send out an email instructing your “fellow colleagues” to refer to you as “Doctor.”

          I hate to try to educate the dimwitted, but that’s the point of this post.

          • Jennifer Davis January 25, 2013 at 11:34 pm

            Thanks for the info.You apparently did some detective work on that and i truly do not care one bit but that still does not change my point of view.

    • David Pemberton January 26, 2013 at 6:16 am - Reply

      (a particularly offensive URL since http://www.peterbaronelaw.com is available. Just trying to help, Peter-Jennifer.)

  31. Mike Trent January 25, 2013 at 10:46 pm - Reply

    It is indeed hilarious, but perhaps not in the way that Peter (and) Jennifer think. Was “religious” put in quotes to denote sarcasm, or is he really that stupid? –Never mind….dumb question.

    • Jennifer Davis January 25, 2013 at 11:14 pm - Reply

      Mike you are as pathetic as mark.I am not one to judge but where in your Religion study or right mind do you think it is ok to post somthing about someone in public that you have clue about…”ARE YOU REALLY THAT STUPID?-NEVER MIND…DUMB QUESTION” now that was a denote sarcasm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      • Thomas Ross January 26, 2013 at 3:04 am - Reply

        this is a troll right? I’m honestly confused.

  32. Andrew Fine January 25, 2013 at 11:38 pm - Reply

    Apparently in all that police training Barone didn’t learn anything about WordPress, comments, and IP addresses. He should ask for a full tuition refund.

  33. Jonathan Blecher January 26, 2013 at 6:08 am - Reply

    Since I won my fantasy football league this year, I want to be addressed as “Champ”.

  34. Ron in Houston January 26, 2013 at 9:56 am - Reply

    Dear Mark:

    I love you. Well, at least in a man hug sort of way.

    Ron

  35. AC January 26, 2013 at 11:31 am - Reply

    Is Dr. also a generally accepted abbreviation for ‘douche’ ?

  36. Bergman Oswell January 26, 2013 at 3:14 pm - Reply

    Sounds like the lead-in to a joke, kinda…

    “Doc Doc”

  37. Tanner Andrews January 29, 2013 at 5:49 am - Reply

    In some states, the bar rules will not let a lawyer call himself “doctor” unless he is also a medical doctor. Just saying.

  38. Student December 9, 2015 at 10:41 pm - Reply

    I just received this guy as a professor for my class. His “short bio” is about 4 pages long, single-spaced, and he refers to himself in the 3rd person. I went to his blog, and the writing is so bad, that I had to google his name just to see if he was anywhere else on the net. Then I found this gem of a blog. Thank you for posting it.

    https://peterbarone.blogspot.com/

    • Student December 9, 2015 at 10:41 pm - Reply

      I meant your thread was a gem; not his blog. Just in case there was any confusion…

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