TBA Law Blog

TBA Law Blog

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Dickson County Lawyer Temporarily Suspended

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Nov 21, 2017
News Type: BPR Actions
On Nov. 20, the Tennessee Supreme Court temporarily suspended Jackie Lynn Garton for misappropriating funds and posing a threat of substantial harm to the public. Garton may not accept any new cases and must cease representing current clients before Dec. 20. The suspension remains in effect until modification by the Supreme Court.

McMinn County Lawyer Suspended

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Nov 20, 2017
News Type: BPR Actions

The Supreme Court of Tennessee on Friday suspended McMinn County lawyer Larry D. Cantrell until further orders of the Court, pursuant to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, Section 22.3. Cantrell was suspended based upon his criminal conviction for theft of property. He was previously suspended on Feb. 7 and was never reinstated from that suspension.

Davidson County Lawyer, Former Councilman Disbarred

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Nov 15, 2017
News Type: BPR Actions
Davidson County attorney and former Nashville Metro Councilman Loniel Greene Jr. was disbarred today by Order of the Tennessee Supreme Court. During recorded telephone conversations with his cousin, who was arrested for domestic assault, Greene agreed to testify falsely at his cousin’s bond source hearing, during which he said he would claim that he was the source of the money used for his cousin’s bond when it was in fact that of his cousin. During those recorded telephone conversations, Greene also discussed with his cousin plans to attempt to coerce the prosecuting witness from testifying against the cousin. 

Montgomery County Lawyer Disbarred

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Nov 15, 2017
News Type: BPR Actions
The Supreme Court of Tennessee disbarred Fletcher Whaley Long from the practice of law and ordered payment of restitution to four (4) former clients for engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit and misrepresentation. Long was previously disbarred by Order of Enforcement entered Sept. 14, 2015. Long accepted fees from clients but didn’t provide services he was hired to do. In two cases, he failed to disclose his indictment for embezzlement when he was hired by a client. 

Sevier County Lawyer Temporarily Suspended

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Nov 7, 2017
News Type: BPR Actions
Sevier County attorney Elizabeth Catherine Velasquez was suspended by order of the Tennessee Supreme Court on Friday. 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 failure to respond to the Board regarding a complaint of misconduct. Velasquez must cease representing existing clients by Dec. 3 and may not accept any new clients.

Benton County Lawyer Disbarred

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Nov 7, 2017
News Type: BPR Actions
Benton County attorney Alan G. Ward was disbarred from the practice of law by order of the Tennessee Supreme Court on Friday. Ward failed to handle an urgent child custody petition expeditiously, caused signatures on a pleading to be falsely dated and failed to communicate with the child’s guardian ad litem. When terminated by his clients, he failed to promptly return their file. He did not refund the unearned portion of his fee. In a separate matter, Ward was appointed to represent two indigent defendants in the Court of Criminal Appeals in two different cases. He failed to file a brief on behalf of his clients, failed to respond to orders from the Court of Criminal Appeals and abandoned his representation of the clients. 

Hamblen County Attorney Temporarily Suspended

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Oct 27, 2017
News Type: BPR Actions
Today the Supreme Court of Tennessee temporarily suspended Richard Dale Darby from the practice of law for posing a threat of substantial harm to the public. Section 12.3 of Supreme Court Rule 9 provides for the immediate temporary suspension of an attorney’s license to practice law in cases where the attorney’s conduct poses a threat of substantial harm to the public. Darby is immediately precluded from accepting any new cases, and he must cease representing existing clients by Nov. 26.

Davidson County Attorney Placed on Disability Inactive Status

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Oct 27, 2017
News Type: BPR Actions
The law license of Erich Webb Bailey was transferred to disability inactive status today pursuant to Section 27.4 of Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9. Bailey cannot practice law while on disability inactive status. He may return to the practice of law after reinstatement by the Tennessee Supreme Court upon showing of clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed and he is fit to resume the practice of law.

Former Davidson County Attorney Suspended

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Oct 23, 2017
News Type: BPR Actions
Former Davidson County lawyer Ashley Denise Preston was suspended on Freiday for four years, retroactive to the date of her transfer from disability inactive status to active status, which was Feb. 23, 2016. Preston faced four complaints of ethical misconduct. In one, she failed to respond to an order of the court of appeals on behalf of a client, and in another, she failed to appear in court and her client’s case was dismissed. In a third case, Preston accepted a fee to represent a client in a child support matter but never completed any work in the case. In the final complaint, Preston became the sole trustee of her family’s trust and made payments to herself and other beneficiaries which were disputed by one of the beneficiaries. Preston must serve two years of active suspension and make restitution to one client.

Bedford County Lawyer Censured

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Oct 20, 2017
News Type: BPR Actions
Bedford County lawyer Christopher P. Westmoreland received a public censure on Oct. 17 from the Board of Professional Responsibility. In one case, Westmoreland was found to have failed to have adequately communicated with a client in a change of custody case. He mailed his client a copy of a court order in the case, but the client did not receive it. Westmoreland did not resend a copy of the order for several months, despite requests from his client. In a separate case from March 2016, Westmoreland was hired to represent a client in a worker's compensation case. A few months later, Westmoreland intended to withdraw from the representation, but did not do so. The court entered orders in July and September of 2016 ordering Mr. Westmoreland’s client to respond to discovery.  The client was not aware of these orders and the discovery was not completed. The case was dismissed as a discovery sanction in Nov. 2016.
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