No Fixed Suspension Term For Absconding Lawyer

The Kentucky Supreme Court rejected the Bar Association’s reqwuest for a 181-day suspension of an attorney faced felony receiving stolen property charges.

WKYT has details on the criminal charges.

Police first arrested [the attorney] in September, after an eyewitness tip lead officers to find two stolen statues worth $25,000 each inside of his apartment. The two bronze statues were reported stolen from the art gallery in Versailles near the end of July.

Benton was charged with receiving stolen property. He was released from jail about three hours after he was booked on September 23rd. He did show up to his arraignment the following day.

The court instead ordered an indefinite suspension.

While we respect the Board’s recommendation for another 181-day suspension running consecutively to Respondent’s current suspension, we decline to follow it. Given Respondent’s prior disciplinary action and his current suspension, together with the seriousness of the felony offense underlying this disciplinary matter and his apparently flagrant disregard for the dignity of the court in which his criminal case is pending, the Kentucky Bar Association, and this Court, we decline at this time to fix a definite term for his suspension from the practice of law in Kentucky. Instead, we now determine that Respondent should be suspended from the practice of law indefinitely.

Actually, “facing charges” may be a bit of an overstatement.

The attorney failed to appear in the criminal case, apparently is on the lam and his present whereabouts are unknown. (Mike Frisch)