Disciplinary Orders

On September 10, 2015, Warren Ballentine was suspended for a period of time to conclude the proceedings in Illinois showing professional unfitness.  Ballentine was found guilty of one count of mail fraud affecting a financial institution, one count of wire fraud affecting a financial institution, two counts of bank fraud, and two counts of making false statements to financial institutions.  The State Bar found that his crimes were serious such that they showed professional unfitness, he was [...]

On August 27, 2015, Steve Combs was suspended from the practice of law for three years.  Combs was found to have failed to timely complete title insurance applications and premium information, and failed to inform his client of his failure to complete the title opinion and disburse the title insurance premium.  Combs did not preserve title insurance premiums entrusted to him by clients, and disbursed more funds for clients than he had in his trust account.  He failed to keep adequate client [...]

On August 21, 2015, Andrew Patterson, II, was disbarred from the practice of law.  Patterson was found to have failed to appear and timely schedule court hearings, failed to act with reasonable diligence when representing a client, and failed to respond to clients regarding active cases.  Patterson failed to explain a fee agreement to the client and made terms in the agreement improper.  He also failed to provide requested documentation to the State Bar in association with a grievance [...]

On August 18, 2015, Paul Brock was suspended from the practice of law for two years.  Brock began a dating/sexual relationship with a client during his representation of her during a child custody case, ended their dating relationship, and while continuing to represent her, continued to have sexual interactions.  Rather than encouraging her to seek other counsel, because he feared she would divulge their relationship to another attorney, he continued to represent her.  She eventually found [...]

On July 31, 2015, Dawn Donleycott Johnson Warren’s petition for a stay of the remaining of her suspension period was denied.  Johnson Warren was suspended on September 19, 2012, for three years.  As part of her terms of suspension, she was to submit her law license and membership card to the State Bar within thirty days, file an affidavit with the State Bar within ten days of the effective date, and pay the administrative fees and costs of the disciplinary action within thirty days, all of [...]

Stanley Mitchell engaged in sexual relations with a client whom he was appointed by the court to represent.  As such, he violated Rules 1.19(a) and 8.4(d) of the North Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct.  The North Carolina Bar disbarred Mitchell on July 17, 2015, as a result of his actions. Trouble viewing? Click here to download the order (PDF, [...]

Thomasine Moore failed to ensure trusted funds received by a client were deposited into her trust account and maintained in trust in violation of Rule 1.15-2(b) and failed to properly maintain entrusted funds in violation of Rule 1.15-2(a) and (m).  Moore’s failure to ensure funds required by a court order was in violation of Rule 8.4(d).  Similarly, Moore failed to compare her general ledge balance in violation of Rule 1.15-3(d)(1) and deposited mixed funds into her operating account in [...]

Robert Gallant failed to file his federal and state income tax returns for tax years 2007 through 2013.  Gallant’s failure to file his taxes was a willful action, and as such he violated 26 U.S.C. § 7203 and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 105-236(a)(9).  Gallant committed criminal acts that reflect adversely on his honest, trustworthiness, or fitness as a lawyer in violation of Rule 8.4(b).  As a result, Gallant was suspended for two years with stay so long as he complied with the conditions set [...]

In August 2014, Robert Griffin was suspended by the Disciplinary Hearing Commission of the State Bar.  As of March 25, 2015, Griffin had served six months of the active suspension, and applied for reinstatement on April 8, 2015.  Griffin failed to show by clear and convincing evidence that he satisfied all necessary requirements contained in his suspension ordered, and as such his reinstatement was denied. Trouble viewing? Click here to download the order (PDF, [...]

Marty McConchie misappropriated client funds when in May 2010 he used $1,275.13 of the $1,453.25 in client funds being held in trust for the benefit of himself.  In doing so, McConchie violated Rule 1.15-2(j) and Rule 8.4(c) of the North Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct.  The North Carolina State Bar consequently disbarred McConchie on July 2, 2015. Trouble viewing? Click here to download the order (PDF, [...]

Robert J. Howell was arrested on June 12, 2015, for kidnapping, attempted murder, first-degree burglary, and possession of cocaine in Charleston, South Carolina.  The pending charges against Howell raised concern for his mental health, stability and fitness to practice law, and if proven, would establish that if he continued to practice law it would pose a threat of significant harm to his clients, the public, the profession, and the administration of justice.  Howell was therefore suspended [...]

Christopher Boothe failed to file his state and federal taxes in 2012 and 2013, and also failed to pay state taxes in 2012 and 2013.  Boothe did not file his federal or state income taxes for the years 2012 and 2013 until December 2014.  Since Boothe’s failure to file hit federal and state income tax was a willful action, he violated 26 U.S.C. § 7203 and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 105-236(a)(9).  As a result, Boothe violated Rule 8.4(b) by committing criminal acts that reflect adversely on his [...]

On May 9, 2013, Elaine Kelley was suspended from the practice of law for six months by a superior court judge.  On March 17, 2014, the Disciplinary Hearing Commission entered an order suspending Kelley for four years.  On May 26, 2015, Kelley submitted a petition to stay her suspension, which was granted by the North Carolina State Bar on June 16, 2015. Trouble viewing? Click here to download the order (PDF, [...]

William Wallace Respess, Jr. was suspended from the practice of law for two years on June 9th, 2015 after the State Bar found several violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct.  Respess, while representing a client on her divorce, engaged in a sexual relationship with her in violation of Rule 1.19(a).  Respess also made loans to the same client, without informed consent, which involved a concurrent conflict in that such representation may have been materially limited by his personal [...]

On August 5, 2015, the North Carolina State Bar conducted a random procedural audit of John Johnston’s trust accounts.  The audit revealed several problems highlighting Johnston’s failure to maintain and document his trust account as specified in Rules of Professional Conduct 1.15-1, 1.15-2, and 1.15-3.  Johnston had been previously audited in 1989 and 2003, and both revealed similar violations. Johnston also employed a nonlawyer assistant in 2006, who later misappropriated over $10,000 [...]