Rape charges got a Florida attorney suspended. He’ll get more punishment soon
Editor's Note: Sunday began the suspension of Bay County’s Christopher Butler as an attorney, the first of several consequences for a lawyer charged with sexual battery.
According to an April 20 filing in Bay County Criminal Court, Butler will change his not guilty plea during a May 29 hearing, and he’ll be sentenced on June 26. Following his sentencing in the criminal case, standard practice says the Florida Bar will request further professional discipline from the state Supreme Court, likely disbarment.
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The full description of the charges facing Butler is “sexual battery of familial or custodial authority,” and he’s been charged with two counts. His LinkedIn page states he spent October 2016 through January 2025 (which is when he was arrested) with the Florida Guardian Ad Litem Office. That office exists to provide attorneys for kids whose best interests in a family legal situation might not align with that of any parent or guardian.
The office’s website says, “Through the collaboration of a multi-disciplinary team that always includes a Guardian ad Litem Attorney, child welfare professional, and hopefully a trained volunteer or pro bono attorney from the child’s community, our team provides quality, independent legal representation for abused, neglected, and abandoned children while assisting the child in expressing their needs and wishes.”
