Thomas23356and23204rel.PDF (2002)
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BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
of the
SUPREME COURT OF TENNESSEE
LANCE B. BRACY WILLIAM W. HUNT, III
CHIEF DISCIPLINARY COUNSEL 1101 KERMIT DRIVE, SUITE 730 CHARLES A. HIGH
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 37217 SANDY GARRETT
LAURA L. CHASTAIN
DEPUTY CHIEF DISCIPLINARY COUNSEL TELEPHONE: (615) 361-7500 JESSE D. JOSEPH
(800) 486-5714 JAMES A. VICK
BEVERLY P. SHARPE FAX: (615) 367- 2480 THERESA M. COSTONIS
CONSUMER COUNSEL/DIRECTOR E-MAIL: ethics@tbpr.org DISCIPLINARY COUNSEL
RELEASE OF INFORMATION
RE: SUSANNA LAWS THOMAS, BPR NO. 11190
CONTACT: THERESA M. COSTONIS
BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
615-361-7500
April 16, 2002
COCKE COUNTY LAWYER CENSURED
Susanna Laws Thomas, a Cocke County attorney, was publicly censured by the Board of
Professional Responsibility on April 10, 2002. A public censure is a form of public discipline
which declares the conduct of the lawyer improper but does not limit the lawyerâs right to
practice law.
The censure was issued by the Board of Professional Responsibility and a request to
vacate was not timely filed by Ms. Thomas. The Board of Professional Responsibility
determined that Ms. Thomas had falsely represented to the judge in the courtroom where she
worked as an assistant public defender that a criminal defendant, who at the time was
incarcerated in the Cocke County jail, had a sentencing hearing on federal charges, to which he
had plead guilty, scheduled within the next few days. Ms. Thomas, who was not counsel of
record for this criminal defendant in any matter, prepared a proposed order and submitted it to
the Cocke County Circuit Court to obtain the defendantâs temporary release from the Cocke
County jail on that false basis. She also accompanied this criminal defendant on a trip outside of
the jurisdiction during his temporary release from the Cocke County jail. Ms. Thomas was
aware of a Federal Court ruling that this criminal defendant was required to inform federal
authorities of any changes in his custody because he would revert to federal custody under those
circumstances. Ms. Thomas accompanied him on the trip out of the jurisdiction, however,
despite the fact that he had not complied with this ruling and had failed to inform federal
authorities of his whereabouts during his temporary release from the Cocke County jail. While
on this trip out of the jurisdiction with the criminal defendant, Ms. Thomas was arrested in a
motel in the company of the criminal defendant and was charged with resisting an officer
without violence, although these charges against her were later dropped. Altogether, her conduct
was prejudicial to the administration of justice and adversely reflected on her fitness to practice
law. She failed to comply with known local customs of courtesy or practice, engaged in
undignified conduct degrading to the tribunal, intentionally violated court rules, and improperly
used or attempted to use the respect accorded her position as an Assistant Public Defender to
influence the court to issue the order temporarily releasing the criminal defendant from jail in
violation of DR 1-102(A)(1)(4)(5)(6), DR 7-106(A)(C)(5)(6)(7) and DR 8-101(B)(2).