Opinion ID: 1801704
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: Nixon's Position

Text: In his petition, Nixon delineated reasons which he feels justify reinstatement of his license. Contrary to the Bar's position, he feels he possesses the requisite moral character to have his license reinstated. First, however, Nixon contends that he has been sufficiently punished. He served two years in a federal penitentiary and halfway house. He has experienced financial ruin. [9] He lost his job, his income, [10] his pension, [11] his home, [12] various forms of insurance, [13] and his ability to practice in the only profession he knows. He has suffered monumental embarrassment  locally and nationally. And the emotional stress and strain which this ordeal has caused his family [14] would best be described as indescribable. In spite of all the foregoing and more, Nixon persevered and learned to adjust to his challenging new life. Throughout this long ordeal he sought closeness with his family and friends and communion with his church; rather than look at the negatives and indulge in selfpity, he has responded positively, building character in the process. In order to build moral strength, [Nixon] has embraced these pillars of support and the resulting rehabilitation allows him to stand before this Court and, without hesitation, but with humility and contrition, request the privilege of resuming the practice of law. See Petition of Walter L. Nixon Jr. for Reinstatement of His License to Practice Law at 12-13. In addition to participating in his church's activities, Nixon has kept himself busy with involvement on a regular basis in numerous other charitable and civic activities. The Bar recited a few examples: His work [has] consisted of ... visiting facilities for adult derelicts and wayward children as well as visiting a charity hospital ... to assist staff members concerning AIDS problems, especially as it was affecting new born babies. Moreover, Nixon has been an active member of the St. Vincent De Paul Society, an organization devoted to assisting the poor and needy. He has taken an active role in helping the poor in various ways, including the selling of Christmas decorations at shopping malls and visiting the sick in hospitals on weekends and rendering aid and comfort to them. With the exception of the turkey-hunting incident, Nixon's criminal record has remained unblemished. He has never been the subject of any complaint at any time as an attorney during his sixteen years of practice or as a judge for many years thereafter, except for the instant subject matter. And while imprisoned, he experienced no conflict with staff or fellow inmates. Since his release from prison, Nixon has encountered seemingly insurmountable difficulty securing employment. In 1990, Nixon finally secured employment doing legal research and administrative work for a Louisiana attorney, William E. Logan Jr. [15] Logan pays Nixon about $2,500 a month. Logan recently informed Nixon that a recent decline in business means he will no longer be able to afford his services. In sum, Nixon's position is that he has met all requirements of licensure reinstatement.