Thomas Jefferson In Hawai’i (He’ll Always Have Paris)

An attorney who achieved a measure of notoriety by appearing before the Kansas Supreme Court dressed as Thomas Jefferson was disbarred by that court.

We had the story of the Kansas matter here.

From the opinion

In deciding that disbarment is the appropriate sanction under the circumstances, this court is mindful that one panel member recommended indefinite suspension, while the remaining two recommended disbarment. We also recognize there may be some tension in reconciling the panel’s conflict of interest findings with its determination of a lack of selfishness as a mitigating factor.

But in this court’s view the essentially uncontroverted findings and conclusions regarding Hawver’s previous disciplinary history, his refusal to accept publicly financed resources to aid in his client’s defense, and his inexplicable incompetence in handling Cheatham’s case in the guilt and penalty phases of the trial are more than sufficient to require disbarment. See ABA Standard 4.51 (disbarment generally appropriate when a lawyer’s course of conduct demonstrates “the lawyer does not understand the most fundamental legal doctrines or procedures, and the lawyer’s conduct causes injury or potential injury to a client”). We hold that disbarment is the appropriate discipline.

The attorney was recently disbarred as reciprocal discipline in Hawai’i.

Hawver did not submit any arguments as to why a substantially similar discipline should not be imposed upon him in thisjurisdiction, and none clearly appears upon the face of the Kansas record. Therefore, in light of the above and theparticularly grave consequences of incompetent representation in a capital murder case,

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED Respondent Hawver is disbarred from the practice of law in this jurisdiction,

(Mike Frisch)