Opinion ID: 2634050
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Matters Leading to Petitioner's Disbarment

Text: First Conviction On September 14, 1990, four years after his admission to the Bar in Colorado, Petitioner accompanied a friend who arranged for the purchase of ten pounds of marijuana for $8,500.00 from an undercover agent with the South Metro Drug Task Force who posed as a buyer. On May 9, 1991, Petitioner pled guilty to possession of marijuana greater than eight ounces in violation of C.R.S. § 18-18-106(4)(b)(I) based upon his participation in this undercover purchase. Second Conviction On January 13, 1992, Petitioner entered the Arapahoe County Courthouse, while in possession of a loaded and functional .38 caliber revolver. On May 14, 1992, Petitioner pled guilty, in United States District Court, to a one-count indictment charging him with felony possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Petitioner's testimony as to why he possessed a gun is undisputed in these proceedings. Petitioner began carrying a gun for self-defense following an incident where he was robbed at gunpoint. [1] Jan Jenkins, a clinical psychologist, treated Petitioner following the incident and found that he suffered acute psychological trauma stemming from the assault. One day while working at the Park Avenue Law Firm, Petitioner, in his haste, went to the courthouse to file a pleading with the gun in his briefcase. When Petitioner went through a magnetometer at the courthouse security post, guards immediately detected the weapon and arrested Petitioner without incident. Immediate Suspension and Subsequent Disbarment Effective October 1, 1991, Petitioner consented to the immediate suspension of his license based on the two convictions discussed above. On or about July 21, 1993, Petitioner and the People entered into a stipulation in which he admitted misconduct and consented to the imposition of a three-year suspension or disbarment. On November 15, 1993, the Colorado Supreme Court accepted Petitioner's stipulation and admission of misconduct and disbarred him from the practice of law. See People v. LaQuey, 862 P.2d 278 (Colo.1993).