Attorney Suspended After Multiple Alcohol-Related Incidents

The Louisiana Supreme Court has imposed a year and a day suspension of an attorney for a series of alcohol-related incidents.

He enrolled in treatment through the Bar program after the ODC opened an investigation of three DUIs  but the cure did not take. 

the Palmetto staff determined that respondent suffered from alcohol abuse and avoidant, dependent, and narcissistic personality features, and recommended that he participate in an intensive outpatient substance abuse treatment program (“IOP”). By letter to respondent dated June 29, 2011, LAP provided respondent with the names of two approved IOP facilities in the New Orleans metro area; however, respondent declined to enroll in either IOP. Instead, respondent relocated to Texas, where he likewise declined to enroll in an IOP.

He returned to Louisiana but

At approximately 6:00 p.m. on August 2, 2012, police officers working a security detail at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport were summoned to the American Airlines concourse with complaints that an intoxicated passenger was causing a disturbance at the departure gate. According to the police report, when the officers arrived at the gate, an airline employee pointed out respondent. The employee indicated that respondent had been denied boarding on his flight leaving at 6:30 p.m. because of his highly intoxicated state, which caused him to be unable to walk or stand without assistance. As the police officers spoke to respondent, they noticed a very strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his breath. In addition, his speech was slurred and his eyelids appeared heavy. The officers informed respondent that he would be permitted to make travel arrangements for the following morning, but that he would have to leave the gate area in the meantime. Respondent refused to comply with the officers’ instructions, and instead became argumentative and frequently used profane language in a loud voice. After about ten minutes, he stood up and walked twenty feet toward the concourse exit, but then sat down again, refused to move, and resumed his use of profanities toward the officers. The officers then arrested respondent for disturbing the peace – public intoxication. Once respondent was placed into a holding cell at the airport, he urinated through the steel meshing of the cell onto the opposite wall. He also told officers that he is an attorney and his mother is a retired judge, and that he and his family would file a lawsuit against the officers for his arrest.

Charges of disturbing the peace were later dismissed but he falsely denied he was intocicated in the disciplinary proceedings.

He has failed in further efforts to control his drinking. After another “successful” treatment he picked up another DUI in June 2014.

The court noted his treatment lapses in imposing sanction. (Mike Frisch)