Recent Rules and Decisions
IN RE DAVID GARDNER DEBLIEUX (Baton Rouge), 2019-B-01515 (1/29/20): The Court suspended the respondent for one year based upon his criminal conduct, which included unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling, domestic abuse battery, simple battery, and simple criminal damage to property.
IN RE DONALD R. DOBBINS (Baton Rouge), 2019-B-01346 (1/29/20): The Court suspended the respondent for one year and one day for failing to provide competent representation to clients, neglecting legal matters, failing to communicate with clients, failing to refund unearned fees and unused costs, failing to properly supervise his non-lawyer staff, resulting in false affidavits being filed in the court record, failing to reduce a contingency fee agreement to writing, forging client signatures on settlement checks, and failing to place disputed funds in his trust account.
IN RE CHRISTOPHER LEE SICES (Shreveport), 2019-B-1875 (2/18/20): The Court permanently disbarred the respondent for abandoning of his clients’ legal matters, failing to communicate with his clients, converting client and third-party funds, and failing to cooperate with the ODC in its investigations. The factual allegations were deemed admitted pursuant to Supreme Court Rule XIX, § 11(E)(3).
IN RE RONALD DAVID HARVEY (Shreveport), 2019-B-1829 (2/18/20): The Court suspended the respondent for one year and one day for failing to communicate with a client, failing to disclose his DWI arrest to the Committee on Bar Admissions, and failing to cooperate with the ODC in its investigations. The factual allegations were deemed admitted pursuant to Supreme Court Rule XIX, § 11(E)(3).
IN RE EUSI HEKIMA PHILLIPS (New Orleans), 2019-B-1779 (2/18/20): The Court dismissed the formal charges brought against the respondent.
Consent Discipline:
IN RE DEMETRIE ELIJAH FORD (Gretna), 2019-B-1700 (2/10/20): The Court suspended the respondent for one year and one day, with all but thirty days deferred, for practicing law while ineligible to do so.
IN RE CHRIS L. BOWMAN (Jonesboro), 2019-B-2026 (2/18/20): The Court suspended the respondent for one year and one day, fully deferred, based upon his arrest for driving while intoxicated.
Reciprocal Discipline:
IN RE DAVID AUGUSTUS CAPASSO (New Orleans), 2019-B-1891 (2/18/20): The Court publicly reprimanded the respondent based upon a ruling of the Grievance Committee of the North Carolina State Bar.
Probation Revoked:
IN RE JERRY L. SETTLE (New Orleans), 2019-B-1874 (2/10/20): The Court revoked the respondent’s probation, making the previously deferred one year and one day suspension executory.
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