Opinion ID: 1726998
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 35

Heading: Attorneys Convicted of Crimes

Text: 14.1 Upon the filing with the Supreme Court of a certificate of conviction demonstrating that an attorney has been convicted of a serious crime as hereinafter defined, the Court shall enter an order immediately suspending the attorney, whether the conviction resulted from a plea of guilty or nolo contendere or from a verdict after trial or otherwise, and regardless of the pendency of an appeal, pending final disposition of a disciplinary proceeding to be commenced upon such conviction. Upon good cause shown, the Court may set aside such order restraining the attorney from engaging in the practice of law when it appears in the interest of justice so to do. 14.2 The term serious crime shall include any felony under the laws of Tennessee and any other crime a necessary element of which as determined by the statutory or common law definition of such crime, involves improper conduct as an attorney, interference with the administration of justice, false swearing, misrepresentation, fraud, willful failure to file income tax returns, deceit, bribery, extortion, misappropriation, theft, or an attempt or a conspiracy or solicitation of another to commit a serious crime. 14.3 A certificate of a conviction of an attorney for any crime shall be conclusive evidence of the commission of that crime in any disciplinary proceeding instituted against him based upon the conviction. 14.4 Upon the receipt of a certificate of conviction of an attorney for a serious crime, the Court shall in addition to suspending him in accordance with the provisions of Section 14.1 of this Rule, also refer the matter to the Board for the institution of a formal proceeding before a hearing committee in which the sole issue to be determined shall be the extent of the final discipline to be imposed, provided that a disciplinary proceeding so instituted will not be brought to hearing until all appeals from the conviction are concluded. 14.5 Upon receipt of a certificate of a conviction of an attorney for a crime not constituting a serious crime, the Court shall refer the matter to the Board for whatever action it may deem warranted, including the institution of an investigation by Disciplinary Counsel, or a formal proceeding before a hearing committee, provided, however, that the Court may in its discretion make no reference with respect to convictions for minor offenses. 14.6 An attorney suspended under the provisions of Section 14.1 of this Rule will be reinstated immediately upon the filing of a certificate demonstrating that the underlying conviction of a serious crime has been reversed but the reinstatement will not terminate any formal proceeding then pending against the attorney, the disposition of which shall be determined by the hearing committee and the Board on the basis of the available evidence. 14.7 The clerk of any court in this state in which an attorney is convicted of a crime shall within ten days of said conviction transmit a certificate thereof to this Court. 14.8 Upon being advised that an attorney subject to the disciplinary jurisdiction of this Court has been convicted of a crime, Disciplinary Counsel shall determine whether the clerk of the court where the conviction occurred has forwarded a certificate to this Court in accordance with the provision of Section 14.7 of this Rule. If the certificate has not been forwarded by the clerk or if the conviction occurred in another jurisdiction, it shall be the responsibility of the Disciplinary Counsel to obtain a certificate of the conviction and to transmit it to this Court. 14.9 An order suspending an attorney from the practice of law pursuant to this Rule shall not constitute a suspension of the attorney for the purpose of Section 18 unless this Court shall so order.