Campbell County lawyer and assistant public defender Clement Dale Potter received a public censure from the Board of Professional Responsibility on July 9. The board reports that Potter gave his client, a criminal defendant charged with attempted rape, incorrect advice about the sex offender registry and lifetime community suspension. Because of that, the client did not have the information needed to make an intelligent decision about his plea and was allowed to withdraw a previous guilty plea. View the BPR notice.

The law license of Patricia Lynne Stolinsky was reinstated yesterday (July 8) by the Supreme Court of Tennessee. Stolinksy was temporarily suspended in April for failure to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility regarding a complaint of misconduct. View the BPR notice.

The law license of John Jay Clark was suspended on June 26 based on four complaints of misconduct. Clark failed to remit $24,000.00 in attorney’s fees to the law firm at which he was employed; altered a verification from a pleading to make it appear the document was executed on a later date; notarized the verification and filed the pleading with the Juvenile Court without the knowledge or consent of his client. Clark attempted to visit clients in jail on at least 29 occasions while his license to practice law was suspended for non-compliance with CLE requirements. In mitigation, Clark fully reimbursed his former law firm for the fees and cooperated with the Board in the disciplinary proceedings. View BPR notice.

Ruth Ann Ambs, formerly of Knoxville, was publicly censured by the Tennessee Supreme Court on June 25 for failing to reasonably communicate with a client, refund unearned fees and provide professional services for which she was retained. Ambs entered a conditional guilty plea admitting she violated the Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct. She also refunded the client’s unearned fee. View the BPR notice.

Joseph Brent Nolan was suspended on June 26 for a period of six months and ordered to make restitution to a client who did not receive all the proceeds of a settlement to which he was entitled. The Tennessee Supreme Court also found that Nolan failed to provide the client with a settlement statement and failed to communicate adequately with the client. The suspension is in addition to a two-year suspension previously imposed on Nolan for his failure to supervise a non-lawyer employee. View the BPR notice.

Gregory Wayne Minton, formerly of Jackson, was suspended June 26 for five years and ordered to pay restitution to five former clients. The Tennessee Supreme Court took the action based on 13 complaints of ethical misconduct alleging lack of diligence, lack of communication, abandonment of practice, failure to appear in court, negligence, accepting fees and then failing to provide adequate legal services, contempt of court, misuse of trust account funds and failure to notify clients of a temporary suspension. Minton entered into a conditional guilty plea. View the BPR notice.

Thomas Holland McKinnie Jr. was suspended by the Tennessee Supreme Court for one year on June 26. The action was taken after McKinnie submitted a conditional guilty plea that he did not pursue a case after telling his client he would; did not provide clients with a settlement sheet, and led them to believe he was still negotiating to reduce a subrogation claim after it had been paid; and did not pursue a clients’ case or communicate with the client about the status of the case. View the BPR notice.

Shelby County lawyer Fred Auston Wortman III was suspended from the practice of law today after the Tennessee Supreme Court found that he poses a threat of substantial harm to the public. The suspension will remain in effect until dissolution or modification by the court. Read the notice from the Board of Professional Responsibility.

Jamie Ellen Machamer has been reinstated to the practice of law effective June 16. Machamer is also ordered to pay the Board of Professional Responsibility's costs in this matter. She was temporarily suspended by the Tennessee Supreme Court on May 28. View the BPR notice. 

William Caldwell Hancock was reinstated yesterday to the practice of law by the Tennessee Supreme Court. Hancock was suspended on Sept. 30, 2014, for a period of 30 days. View the BPR notice.