A Palm Beach County criminal defense attorney has been suspended from practicing law for three years after the Florida Supreme Court found she missed court appearances, neglected her clients' cases and interfered with a court-ordered competency evaluation. Manisha Maraj, 42, admitted to misconduct that included calling a presiding judge a vulgar name after the judge left the bench following a hearing.
The suspension, approved by the Florida Supreme Court on October 8, took effect immediately, according to The Florida Bar. The Bar said that in multiple cases, Maraj did not communicate with clients in a timely manner and lacked diligence in handling their criminal matters. As the Miami Herald reported, Maraj was admitted to the Florida Bar in April 2015 and has since faced nine disciplinary matters.
One of the most serious incidents involved client Arthur Harmon, who faced a possible life sentence. According to the Miami Herald's reporting, Maraj failed to appear in person at Harmon's sentencing and instead participated by Zoom. Harmon complained that Maraj had failed to take promised depositions and was unprepared for trial. The Bar's own account describes a related episode in which, despite assurances that a court-directed motion for continuance would be filed, Maraj failed to file it and failed to appear at a sentencing hearing.
Contempt Findings Over a Competency Evaluation
The Miami Herald reported that Maraj was found guilty of criminal contempt in connection with obstructing a competency evaluation and that she made dishonest statements to the court. In March 2025, she was also found guilty of indirect criminal contempt for interfering with defendant Carlton Johnson's court-ordered competency evaluation, for which she was sentenced to probation.
An investigative committee found that Maraj provided conflicting and inconsistent statements and testimony on several occasions, the Florida Bar reported. During a criminal trial in February 2025, she was reportedly 45 minutes late on the third day of proceedings, and a judge warned her that further tardiness could result in sanctions, according to the Herald's account.
Clients Allege Threats and Pressure Tactics
The Miami Herald reported additional allegations involving how Maraj dealt with clients and prospective clients outside the courtroom. She allegedly threatened to withdraw from a case while repeatedly demanding payment from a defendant's family, and told a prospective client that the client would go to jail if they did not hire her. In a separate case detailed by the Herald, Maraj obtained two extensions to respond to a prosecution filing but ultimately did not submit a reply, and the client's post-conviction motion was later denied.
A referee concluded that Maraj violated professional rules governing competence, diligence, communication and honesty, the Herald reported. Maraj did not respond to an email seeking comment on the allegations, according to the newspaper's reporting.
A Rehabilitation Agreement and a Rejected Deal
According to the referee's report cited by the Herald, Maraj has a substance-related disorder and entered a rehabilitation agreement with Florida Lawyers Assistance. The report stated that as of July 2025, Maraj was seeking assistance through that program, and a subsequent referee's report found that she complied with her rehabilitation agreement and expressed remorse and cooperated with the disciplinary proceedings.
Even so, the Florida Supreme Court rejected a proposed two-year penalty in July 2026, opting instead for the three-year suspension that took effect this fall. The court also ordered Maraj to pay $1,536.25 in disciplinary costs. Before she can return to practicing law, Maraj must undergo a comprehensive evaluation by a professional approved by the Florida Bar and comply with any recommended rehabilitation measures and applicable reinstatement requirements.
A Second, Separate Suspension in 2025
The three-year suspension is not Maraj's only recent discipline. The Florida Bar reported that she received a separate six-month suspension and was referred to FLA, Inc., effective 30 days after an October 9, 2025, court order — a case the Bar described as reciprocal discipline stemming from discipline imposed by the Southern District of Florida. That earlier matter is distinct from the conduct underlying this year's three-year suspension.
Maraj's case was part of a wider wave of discipline across the state. CBS 12 reported that Florida Supreme Court orders issued between September 24 and October 28 disciplined 16 attorneys statewide, underscoring that Maraj's suspension landed amid a broader stretch of bar actions against Florida lawyers.
