From White House To Big House

The District of Columbia Board on Professional Responsibility has reached the rather unsurprising conclusion that a conviction for attempt to commit murder is a crime that inherently involves moral turpitude

Respondent was convicted of attempted murder, in violation of C.G.S. § 53a-49(a)(2)
(attempt) and § 53a-54a(a) (murder). The Court previously has held that murder for pecuniary gain, in violation of C.G.S. § 53a-54b (murder with special circumstances), is a crime of moral turpitude per se, because it requires proof of specific intent to cause the death of another person. In re Carpenter, 891 A.2d 223, 223 (D.C. 2006) (per curiam); see also Aron, Bar Docket No. 45-99 at 3-4 (solicitation to commit murder under Maryland law is a crime of moral turpitude per se,because it involves “deliberate, intentional taking of the life of another person”).

The attorney was former Bush Deputy White House Counsel  J. Michael Farren.

The attempt was against his former wife, who had been a Steptoe & Johnson associate.

In D.C., disbarment is required for a moral turpitude conviction.

Note: I prosecuted the bar discipline case involving Ruthann Aron.

I was disappointed that she consented to disbarment after the oral argument in the Court of Appeals on the moral turpitude issue, i.e. after all the work was done. In Aron, the offense was solicitation to commit murder. (Mike Frisch)