When he is alone with his own thoughts, and the loneliness is only likely to grow, does disgraced Tampa attorney Stephen Diaco ever wonder: "Sheesh, I gave up everything for this? All in the defense of a huge tub of shock-talking goo? What was I thinking?"

Not very much, apparently.

To no one's surprise, the Florida Supreme Court has officially disbarred Diaco from the practice of law. The ruling only confirmed what everyone knew would be Diaco's fate after his law license was suspended earlier this year.

Next up, the court is expected to disbar Diaco's currently suspended former law partners, Robert Adams and Adam Filthaut. Essentially all three were determined to be a disgrace to the profession by Pinellas Senior Judge W. Douglas Baird after a lengthy hearing last summer. As a more practical matter, the three ex-mouthpieces proved to be collectively dumber than a sack of, well, loofahs.

The downfall of the Adams & Diaco law firm probably began the day Bubba the Love Sponge walked through the door. Mr. Sponge was being sued by another blabberer, Todd Schnitt, who was in a tizzy over less-than-dignified on-air remarks Mr. Sponge had made against Schnitt's wife. This wasn't exactly NPR Prairie Home Companion.

During the trial, Schnitt's lawyer, C. Philip Campbell, repaired to Malio's, a trendy saloon in downtown Tampa. If you found yourself representing some declasse radio dolt, wouldn't you need a few pops at the end of the day?

In time the 60-ish Campbell was approached by a 30-ish Melissa Personius, who made goo-goo eyes in the general direction of the lawyer. No doubt Campbell could be forgiven if he started hearing Some Enchanted Evening.

Alas Ms. Personius turned out to the Mata Hari of Malio's, who was working with Adams & Diaco attorneys to ply an unsuspecting Campbell with demon rum while the opposing counsel used their contacts with the Tampa Police Department so police could lie in wait for a tipsy Campbell to leave the bar and get behind the wheel of the femme fatale's car.

Campbell got popped for DUI, and his briefcase filled with legal documents relating to his defense of Schnitt briefly fell into the hands of Adams & Diaco.

Tampa has had more than its fair share of cheesy lawyers. But the duplicity of Adams & Diaco that evening set an all-time low for judicial misconduct. The lawyers had set Campbell up for the DUI. They had compromised a Tampa Police Department officer. They had attempted to improperly influence the outcome of Mr. Sponge's lawsuit.

And for what? For some twerp on the radio.

Think about this. Diaco went to law school, no easy — or inexpensive — proposition. He passed the demanding Florida Bar exam to practice law. He opened his own law firm. And he had a successful practice. He had accumulated some wealth. He enjoyed a modicum of social status. He had a pretty good life, as did his law partners and associates.

And now it's gone. Diaco is now, "Oh that guy, who blew his career representing a talk radio sea slug."

Every few weeks, the Florida Bar sends out a list of lawyers around the state who have had their license to practice law suspended or revoked. The causes run the gamut from misuse of client funds, to drug use, to a variety of sins related to failure to competently represent a client's interests.

But a bunch of conniving lawyers engaging in an elaborate ruse with the cooperation of law enforcement officers to set up an opposing counsel for a DUI arrest, that was something different.

All in the disservice of Mr. Sponge.