A Florida attorney convicted for his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot has voluntarily surrendered his law license, a move equivalent to disbarment.
Michael Stepakoff, a member of the Florida Bar since 1990, recently requested and was granted disciplinary revocation by the Florida Supreme Court. According to the court, this action is “tantamount to disbarment.” As a result, Stepakoff is barred from practicing law for at least five years, though he retains the option to reapply for readmission in the future.
Stepakoff’s Legal and Disciplinary Background
Stepakoff’s decision to seek disciplinary revocation effectively ends the Florida Bar’s disciplinary case against him, sparing him from potential punitive measures. Attorneys who choose this route often do so to avoid the time, expense, and uncertainty of a formal disciplinary proceeding—particularly when disbarment is likely.
While Stepakoff was convicted in connection with the Capitol riot, his offense was neither violent nor financially significant. His restitution payment totaled $500, and his sentence included 12 months of probation rather than prison time. Before this incident, his disciplinary record included an admonishment in 1995 and a six-month suspension in 2006.
Stepakoff’s Role in the Jan. 6 Capitol Riot
In addition to being a lawyer, Stepakoff serves as a rabbi at Temple New Jerusalem, a Messianic Judaism congregation in Tarpon Springs. He attended the Jan. 6 protest outside the U.S. Capitol as Congress gathered to certify the 2020 presidential election results.
According to his guilty plea, Stepakoff recorded a video while approaching the Capitol, stating:
“The moment arrives when people must declare, ‘Enough is enough.’ Today, we take our stand on Capitol Hill.”
Stepakoff later admitted to unlawfully demonstrating in the Capitol and pleaded guilty to charges of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building. He was sentenced to 12 months of probation, fined $742, and ordered to pay $500 in restitution, along with a $10 special assessment fee.
No Response from Stepakoff
Stepakoff has not responded to multiple requests for comment from the Miami Herald. His last known business address was in Palm Harbor.
MORE VISIT, Techar
