PUBLISHED 

,,Suptrtur &Turf of 

2015-SC-000133-KB 

DATE s 

MARY LOU CHANDLER MOVANT 

V. IN SUPREME COURT 

KENTUCKY BAR ASSOCIATION RESPONDENT 

OPINION AND ORDER 

Movant, Mary Lou Chandler, KBA No. 11465, 1petitions this Court to 

resign under the terms of permanent disbarment. The Kentucky Bar 

Association (KBA) has no objection to Chandler's motion. Movant was 

temporarily suspended pursuant to SCR 3.166(1) 2on December 20, 2014, and 

remains suspended at this time. 

1Movant was admitted to the practice of law in Kentucky on May 1, 1978, and 

her bar roster address is P.O. Box 1053, Paintsville, Kentucky, 41240. 

2SCR 3.166(1)provides that: "Any member of the Kentucky Bar Association 

who pleads guilty to a felony, including a no contest plea or a plea in which the 

member allows conviction but does not admit the commission of a crime, or is 

convicted by a judge or jury of a felony, in this State or in any other jurisdiction, shall 

be automatically suspended from the practice of law in .this Commonwealth. "Felony" 

means an offense for which a sentence to a term of imprisonment of at least one year 

is authorized by law. The imposition of probation, parole, diversion or any other type 

of discharge prior to the service of sentence, if one is imposed, shall not affect the 

automatic suspension. The suspension shall take effect automatically beginning on 

the day following the plea of guilty or finding of guilt by a judge or jury or upon the 

entry of judgment whichever occurs first. The suspension under this rule shall remain 

in effect until dissolved or superseded by order of the Court. Within 30 days of the 

plea of guilty, or the finding of guilt by a judge or jury, or entry of judgment, whichever 

occurs first, the suspended attorney may file a motion with the Clerk of the Supreme 

Court of Kentucky setting forth any grounds which the attorney believes justify 

dissolution or modification of the suspension." 
I. BACKGROUND 

Movant entered a guilty plea in the Johnson County Circuit Court in the 

matter of Commonwealth v. Mary Lou Chandler, Case No. 14-CR-00152 to one 

count of Complicity to Trafficking in a Controlled Substance, a Class D Felony. 

Movant was sentenced to two years in prison, to be probated for five years. 

Under the terms of Movant's plea agreement, she must give up her membership 

with the Kentucky Bar Association and agree to no longer practice law in the 

Commonwealth of Kentucky. At present, although the KBA is investigating, the 

Inquiry Commission has not yet returned formal disciplinary charges. Movant 

requests that these proceedings be terminated and that she be allowed to 

resign under terms of permanent disbarment pursuant to SCR 3.480(3). 

Movant acknowledges that the foregoing facts would support disciplinary 

charges for violations of SCR 3.130-8.4(b) (commission of a criminal act 

reflecting adversely on a lawyer's honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as a 

lawyer in other respects). Therefore, she requests that the Court grant her 

leave to resign from the KBA under terms of permanent disbarment pursuant 

to SCR 3.480(3). 3We agree that Movant's motion to withdraw her membership 

is appropriate pursuant to SCR 3.480(3). 

3SCR 3.480(3) provides in pertinent part: 

Any member who has been engaged in unethical or unprofessional conduct and 

desires to withdraw his membership under terms of permanent disbarment 

shall file a verified motion with the Court stating as follows: 

(a) He/she has violated the Rules of Professional Conduct, or his/her 

conduct fails to comply with those rules, the specifics of which shall 

be detailed in the motion. 

(b) He/she will not seek reinstatement and understands the provisions of 

SCR 3.510 and SCR 3.520 do not apply. 

(c) He/she will not practice law in the Commonwealth of Kentucky 

subsequent to the permanent disbarment order. 

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Therefore, it is hereby ORDERED that: 

1) Movant, Mary Lou Chandler, is permanently disbarred from the 

practice of law; 

2) Pursuant to SCR 3.390, Movant shall, within ten days from the entry 

of this Opinion and Order, if she has not already done so, notify all clients, in 

writing, of her inability to represent them; notify, in writing, all courts in which 

she has matters pending of her disbarment from the practice of law; and 

furnish copies of all letters of notice to the Office of Bar Counsel; 

3) If she has not already done so, to the extent possible, Movant shall 

immediately cancel and cease any advertising activities in which she is 

engaged; and 

4) In accordance with SCR 3.450, Movant shall pay all costs associated 

with these proceedings, said sum being $25.00, for which execution may issue 

from this Court upon finality of this Opinion and Order. 

All sitting. All concur. 

ENTERED: May 14, 2015. 

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