As expected, former Gov. Mike Easley's license to practice law has been suspended on an interim basis due to his felony conviction in a state court.
Easley's legal team has said he will fight to try and get the license back.
The N.C. State Bar, according to the interim suspension order issued last week, "will file a formal complaint against [Easley] alleging he has violated the Rules of Professional Conduct based upon his felony conviction and the conduct on which the conviction was based."
The State Bar could seek a disbarment, a suspension or take other action, such as a censure or sending a private letter. The process for Easley is just beginning, and parts of the case could become public. The suspension order says it is unknown at this time whether professional discipline will be imposed on Easley.
State Bar lawyers are not limited by the facts of the criminal plea deal, but can look beyond that in reaching decisions about discipline. In past cases, the State Bar has had access to law enforcement files as part of reaching discipline decisions.
At this stage of the Easley matter, the State Bar's officials cannot comment on his case specifically.
The State Bar's role in disciplining a lawyer is not to punish the person, but to protect the public from someone in the practice of law who has violated conduct rules.
Easley, a former two-term attorney general who served two terms as governor, has had a law license in North Carolina since 1976.
After leaving the governor's office, he was employed at the McGuireWoods law firm in Raleigh. But he left the firm this year as state and federal investigations into a range of Easley's actions continued.
-- J. Andrew Curliss
J. Andrew Curliss covered state and local politics and government for The News & Observer for more than a decade before joining the investigative team in December 2008.
Contact him at
Comments
Corruption at the State Bar
Sat, 01/22/2011 - 17:12 — bwolfendenPorkybunny is right; davidajr is wrong. If you file a grievance against an attorney, you will not see the attorney's response. The complaints posted on the State Bar's website have been brought by the State Bar after an attorney rejects the disciplinary notices issued by the Grievance Committee because the attorney disagrees with the Committee's findings.
Is the North Carolina State Bar corrupt? Yes it is. Not necessarily because the employees of the State Bar are immoral people but because the rules and procedures for disciplining attorneys were written by a bunch of rich, white male attorneys who were hellbent on protecting the good ol' boy network, which is, for the most part, made up of a bunch of rich, white male attorneys.
The State Bar does not care about the reality of the NC legal system, it is only interested in appearances. The appearance of a just legal system is dependent upon attorneys who are too afraid to blow the whistle when they see misconduct and corruption in the courtroom. The State Bar creates an atmosphere of fear by disbarring any attorney who speaks out against the flaws in the NC legal system.
If you look at Mike Easley's answer on the Bar's website, you get a foretaste of what's to come. His attorney and the State Bar will drag out settlement negotiations for about a year so it doesn't look like this has already been decided behing closed doors. Then, Easley will consent to a one-year suspension, whereby he will get credit for "time served" and will go back to practicing law as a convicted felon. He's very lucky he is not black or a woman.
And...
Wed, 01/26/2011 - 17:34 — dp123that's a wrap, baby.
Only suspended?
Thu, 12/16/2010 - 19:46 — TracyWSo as a felon he is no longer able to own a firearm, but he can still practice law?
Wake county judicial standards comissioner and 10th Judicial Bar
Thu, 12/16/2010 - 18:03 — dp123In 2009, Judicial Standards commissioner Paul Ross threw out 260 out of the 276 complaints he received about judges. Yet most of those complaints alleged violations of law or errors in procedure, which can be proven. What's going on here? Is his workload too enormous or is there financial or other incentive for Ross to throw out complaints?
Also, it is common knowledge that the NC Bar doesn't investigate complaints against attorneys. In fact, in Wake county, a female attorney recently got promoted to Assistant Chair for the 10th judical bar. (Google it). Girls can join the boy's club if they play along.
There is a reason for this.
Thu, 12/16/2010 - 18:30 — waywardMost of the complaints against lawyers and judges are not investigated because they are pure garbage. They are the "I didn't win, which means that the judge is a crook and my lawyer is incompetent" kind of complaints. Or they are the "that judge is a crook because he sent me to jail" kind of complaints.
Other complaints are sent to the wrong department. If the judge made an error of law or procedure, you need to talk to the Court of Appeals, not the State Bar.
Between the complaints that are garbage and the complaints that should have been appeals, I am not surprised that 260 of 276 complaints were thrown out.
Attorney Betsy Wolfenden's vindication
Sat, 01/15/2011 - 13:47 — dp123Betsy Wolfendenhad been disbarred because she stood up to a judge and the state bar called her "a dangerous woman." She is a danger all right -- a danger to the state bar's corruption.
The State Bar Investigating ANYTHING . . .
Thu, 12/16/2010 - 17:42 — DrMaryJohnson. . . a lawyer does is news to me. What pork-bunny said.
Seven years ago, I reported FELONIES on the part of two "non-profit" hospital executives to the Asheboro/Randolph County DA.
The felonies were multiple counts of PERJURY . . . filed on-the-Court-record by said "non-profit's" well-heeled attorneys . . . self-described "experts" who should have known better. I believe it's called suborning perjury.
In seven years, I've not gotten past the DA's front door (not that our current Attorney General cares about my butchered civil or due process rights). And when I reported the lawyers involved to the N.C. State Bar, I got the big blow-off. Not even an interview.
So. What porkbunny said.
For the average not-right-person, the N.C. State Bar . . . and the North Carolina Justice system on the whole . . . IS USELESS.
Meanwhile, Sleazely will get the wink-&-nod.
Overkill
Thu, 12/16/2010 - 17:34 — TheLibertineEasley really must have torqued the wrong person along the way. I've never seen someone dogged for so long. When you look at the comparative behaviors of some of the other rotten apples in NC politics, he certainly has gotten more than his share of beatings. I'm no fan, but really? When is enough enough? And how will PurDONT be handled? How about HAGan? I hope the "girls" don't get left out of the consequences category when it's their time on the stand.
Are you ready to see some lawyers get lawyery
Thu, 12/16/2010 - 17:28 — porkybunnyAs I know from personal experience, the NC State Bar does not even allow the person making the complaint to see the response from the attorney under investigation. So you never will know what happens at the NC State Bar behind closed doors. They protect their own as hard as they can and Easley can rest assured that they will do all they can to protect him. I doubt that he'll have to fight to get his license back. They'll let enough time pass and it will never become public.
Actually, all complaints and
Fri, 12/17/2010 - 01:58 — davidajrActually, all complaints and answers are posted for public viewing at the NC Bar Assoc.'s website as they are filed, well before scheduled hearings, or decisions, are made. ( http://www.ncbar.com/discipline/DHClist.asp?order=DHCdefendant%5Fname&ordertype=ASC ). It is typically a much more relaxed and open process than a normal judicial hearing, although the Easley matter will likely be a little more involved.