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IN DISCIPLINARY DISTRICT VIII
OF THE
BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
OF THE
SUPREME COURT OF TENNESSEE
IN RE: David L. Hamblen, #010234 FILE No. 74334-8-ES
Respondent, an attorney licensed
to practice law in Tennessee
____________________________________________________________________________
PUBLIC CENSURE
____________________________________________________________________________
The above complaint was filed against David Hamblen, an attorney licensed to practice
law in Tennessee, alleging certain acts of misconduct. Pursuant to Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 9, the Board
of Professional Responsibility considered this matter at its meeting on March 8, 2024.
Respondent represents the mother of a child in contentious custody litigation in which an
order had been entered granting the mother supervised visitation. A few months later, opposing
counsel sent a draft revised parenting plan to Respondent which allowed for unsupervised
visitation. Prior to the entry of any agreed parenting plan, however, Respondentâs client called
him and said she was having a problem arranging for her visitation to be supervised on a particular
day. Respondent then instructed his client to go ahead with unsupervised visitation.
Opposing counsel filed a motion for contempt due to Respondentâs clientâs exercise of
unsupervised visitation. Respondent sent a letter to opposing counsel and informed her that he
âtook it upon [him]selfâ to instruct his client not to comply with the existing court order, and that
he knew no order had been entered relieving her of the supervised visitation.
By the aforementioned acts, David Hamblen is in violation of Rules of Professional
Conduct 3.4 (fairness to opposing party) and 8.4(d) (prejudice to the administration of justice) and
is hereby Publicly Censured for these violations.
FOR THE BOARD OF
PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
_______________________________
Jennifer S. Hagerman, Chair
April 23, 2024
_______________________________
Date
2