‘Pit bull’ lawyers kept on leash

BY BILL KACZOR
Associated Press

A pair of “pit bull” lawyers in Fort Lauderdale will remain muzzled after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear their appeal Monday.

The decision left standing a Florida Supreme Court ruling that Marc Chandler and John Pape could no longer use ads featuring the image of a pit bull wearing a spiked collar and spelling out their telephone number as “PIT-BULL.”

Florida Chief Justice Barbara Pariente wrote in the state court’s unanimous opinion that the ads implied the lawyers would “get results through combative and vicious tactics that will maim, scar or harm the opposing party.”

Chandler said pit bulls didn’t carry negative connotations “until drug dealers and gang members . . . made them their dog of choice.”

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MiamiHerald.com | 03/28/2006 | ‘Pit bull’ lawyers kept on leash