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Disciplinary panel reprimands Lake View lawyer Friday, Apr 27, 2007 Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Former state lawmaker who was an attorney for the defunct school district whose lawsuit led to the current state school funding case was reprimanded Thursday by the state committee that disciplines lawyers. The state Supreme Court Committee on Professional Conduct found former state Rep. Jimmie Wilson of Helena-West Helena violated a variety of the Supreme Court's Models Rules of Professional Conduct for attorneys Among the violations were failing to correct a false statement of material fact previously made by him to the Supreme Court, and engaging in conduct that was disrespectful, intemperate, strident and contemptuous of the court as a body as of its members. "I have no comment, I have an appeal," Wilson said Thursday when reached at his Helena-West Helena law office. Wilson served in the state from 1991 to 1998. He also was one of the original attorneys in the on-going Lake View school funding case. In 2002, the Supreme Court awarded attorneys fees of nearly $3.4 million to attorneys representing the Lake View School District. Wilson was awarded $636,588, according to conduct committee findings. He later appealed the award and argued he should have received more, according to the order. His appeal was dismissed. However, during the same period he received and cashed the $636,588 check. "Mr. Wilson did not correct with the court the false impression of material fact he advanced in his appeal, and left it uncorrected, that he had not accepted or received the benefit of the trial court's award of attorney's fees to him," the committee concluded. Also, the committee said Wilson violated, on more than one occasion, a Model Rule of Professional Conduct regarding "conduct that was disrespectful, intemperate, strident and contemptuous" of both the court and individual justices. His violation was for suggesting on more than one occasion the court's intentions toward him were unfavorable because he is black. Along with the reprimand for his conduct, Wilson was ordered to pay $150 in costs. |
