Insanity Plea Got Her Off. It Won’t Get Her Law License Back, Florida Supreme Court Rules 

The Florida Supreme Court has rejected former Fort Lauderdale attorney Beatrice Bijoux’s bid to regain her law license, four years after she was found not guilty by reason of insanity for driving her SUV into a group of diners outside a Stuart Fresh Market.

According to Florida Supreme Court records Miami New Times obtained through public records requests, the court on June 11 adopted a referee’s recommendation and dismissed Bijoux’s petition for reinstatement. The court also ordered her to pay $2,034.48 in costs to The Florida Bar.

According to Referee Tesha Ballou’s report, Bijoux was admitted to The Florida Bar on Sept. 20, 2016, and had no prior disciplinary history prior to the 2022 incident. A 2016 graduate of Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad College of Law, she later opened a personal injury practice in Fort Lauderdale.

Bijoux petitioned for reinstatement after the Florida Supreme Court placed her on the inactive list for incapacity not related to misconduct in 2023, the referee’s report said. After considering the petition and The Florida Bar’s motion to dismiss, a referee concluded Bijoux failed to satisfy the requirements for reinstatement and recommended that her petition be dismissed.

The case stems from a violent incident on Feb. 22, 2022.

According to a Stuart Police Department case report obtained by Miami New Times, surveillance video showed Bijoux driving her Kia SUV approximately 30 to 35 mph into people dining outside a Stuart Fresh Market, injuring four people before reversing at a high rate of speed and allegedly accelerating toward a witness who attempted to stop her from fleeing.

Stuart Police Sgt. John Reddick reported that after Bijoux was taken into custody, she spontaneously stated, “The voices in my head told me to kill someone.”

Prosecutors ultimately charged Bijoux with four counts of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and fleeing law enforcement. She was later found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a state mental health facility for treatment.

After her release from treatment, Bijoux petitioned to return to the practice of law. But the referee concluded that Bijoux “has not demonstrated the fitness necessary to resume the practice of law and has not satisfied the criteria for reinstatement to the practice of law.”

Ballou also found that Bijoux’s petition reflected “ongoing emotional or mental instability and financial irresponsibility,” both of which constitute grounds for denying reinstatement under the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar. The referee noted that Bijoux remained under court supervision, was required to live at Dayspring Village, an assisted living facility for adults with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders, and had not provided documentation demonstrating she was fit to resume practicing law.

The referee also cited Bijoux’s outstanding federal tax debt, which had grown to more than $36,500 with penalties and interest, as evidence of financial irresponsibility under Florida Bar rules.

The Florida Supreme Court adopted Ballou’s recommendation, dismissed Bijoux’s petition for reinstatement, and ordered her to pay $2,034.48 in costs. She is not eligible to practice law in Florida.

Bijoux did not return an email from Miami New Times seeking comment.

Editor’s Note: Mental health conditions are treatable, and help is available. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis or having thoughts of suicide, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988. Trained counselors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you believe someone is in immediate danger of harming themselves or others, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. For information about mental health services and support, visit: https://988lifeline.org https://www.nami.org