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TBA Law Blog

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Lawrence County Attorney Censured

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Oct 25, 2018
News Type: BPR Actions
Lawrence County attorney Charles Matthew Bates received a public censure yesterday from the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court. Bates practiced law by appearing in court on behalf of a number of clients while his license to practice law was administratively suspended for failure to comply with his annual registration and IOLTA reporting requirements. A public censure is a rebuke and warning to the attorney, but it does not affect the attorney’s ability to practice law.

Mississippi Lawyer Reinstated

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Oct 22, 2018
News Type: BPR Actions
On Oct. 19, the Tennessee law license of Candace Lenette Williamson of Southaven, Mississippi, was reinstated. She is ordered to pay the board’s costs in this matter. Williamson was temporarily suspended from the practice of law by order of the Supreme Court on July 18, for failing to respond to the board regarding a complaint of misconduct. On Aug. 30, Williamson filed a response to petition for temporary suspension. On Oct. 3, a board panel entered a recommendation that the temporary suspension be dissolved.

Lewis County Lawyer Suspended

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Oct 18, 2018
News Type: BPR Actions
On Oct. 18, the Supreme Court of Tennessee temporarily suspended Lewis County lawyer Larry Joe Hinson, Jr. from the practice of law upon finding Hinson misappropriated funds and poses a threat of substantial harm to the public. Section 12.3 of Supreme Court Rule 9 provides for the immediate summary suspension of an attorney’s license to practice law in cases of an attorney’s misconduct. Hinson is immediately precluded from accepting any new cases, and he must cease representing existing clients by Nov. 18.

Davidson County Lawyer Censured

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Oct 18, 2018
News Type: BPR Actions
On Oct. 18, Davidson County lawyer James Gregory King received a public censure from the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court. In the representation of a client in a domestic relations proceeding, King failed to take proper action to comply with a scheduling order which led to the dismissal of the client’s petition. Prior to the hearing on the motion to dismiss, King made misleading statements to his client about the nature and significance of the motion and hearing. King also accepted a refundable fee from a relative of the client without the client’s knowledge and consent and failed to deposit this fee into his escrow account. As a condition of the public censure, King shall refund $2,500.00 in attorney fees to the relative of the client within 60 days of issuance of this public censure.

Sevier County Lawyer Reinstated

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Oct 17, 2018
News Type: BPR Actions
Sevier County attorney Joe Gene Bagwell was reinstated to the practice of law, according to an order filed today. Bagwell signed a partial payment agreement with the Collection Services Division of the Tennessee Department of Revenue, provided the Board of Professional Responsibility with a letter of tax clearance, paid a delinquency penalty to the board and paid a reinstatement fee. His reinstatement went into effect on Oct. 10.

Sevier County Lawyer Suspended

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Oct 17, 2018
News Type: BPR Actions
On Oct. 17, the Tennessee Supreme Court suspended Sevier County lawyer Elizabeth Catherine Velasquez from the practice of law for five years with three years served as an active suspension and the remainder on probation. A petition for discipline was filed against Velasquez on Jan. 29, containing one complaint of ethical misconduct. A hearing panel determined that she failed to communicate and diligently represent her client. Velasquez abandoned the client’s case. She did not respond to the petition for discipline and an order for default judgment was entered against her. Velasquez must pay restitution to a former client and contact the Tennessee Lawyer’s Assistance Program as a condition of reinstatement to the practice of law. During probation, she must engage a practice monitor, and she must pay the Board of Professional Responsibility’s costs and expenses and court costs within 90 days. 

Bradley County Lawyer Censured

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Oct 16, 2018
News Type: BPR Actions
On Oct. 15, Bradley County lawyer Douglas Neil Blackwell, II received a Public Censure from the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court. Blackwell accepted a refundable retainer fee from a client in a conservatorship proceeding without depositing the fee into his client trust account until earned. Blackwell failed to diligently represent his client’s interest and failed to properly communicate with his client. Blackwell failed to include critical documentation with legal pleadings. After he was removed from representation, Blackwell failed to provide his former client with the client file. Blackwell’s fee affidavit was found to be unreasonable and based upon misrepresentations.  

Davidson County Lawyer Censured

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Oct 16, 2018
News Type: BPR Actions
On Oct. 15, Davidson County lawyer Wendell Cornelius Dawson received a public censure from the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court. Dawson represented a client applying for cancellation of removal before the immigration court. Although Dawson presented documentation to the court concerning his client’s presence in the United States, he failed to call any witnesses other than his client at the final hearing to satisfy the significant burden of showing exceptional and extremely unusual hardship. Likewise, he did not diligently represent his client in his appeal. He did not meet with his client to discuss the appeal, and his brief was one page in which he generally argued, without citations to authority or the record, that his client had testified to his presence in the country and the hardship his children would suffer if he were removed from the United States.

Montgomery County Lawyer Censured

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Oct 16, 2018
News Type: BPR Actions
On Oct. 15, Montgomery County lawyer Cleveland C. Turner received a public censure from the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court. Turner practiced law for five business days when his license was administratively suspended, including an appearance in court at a hearing. By these acts, Turner is in violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct and is hereby publicly censured for these violations.

Texas Lawyer Reinstated from Inactive Status

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Oct 15, 2018
News Type: BPR Actions

The Board of Professional Responsibility has reinstated a Texas attorney who was placed on inactive status more than five years ago. An order of reinstatement for Jacob D. Bashore, of Harker Heights, Texas, was filed on Oct. 12, upon the board finding that he had met all requirements for reinstatement. He was reinstated as of Oct. 4.

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