A Bridge Too Near

The District of Columbia Board on Professional Responsibility recommends that Bridgegate defendant William Baroni be disbarred for conviction of a crime of moral turpitude per se.

Among other offenses, Respondent was convicted of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2, 1343 and 1349. The Court has determined that these are crimes of moral turpitude per se. In re Bryant, 46 A.3d 402, 402 (D.C. 2012) (per curiam) (wire fraud); In re Schainker, 871 A.2d 1206, 1206 (D.C. 2005) (per curiam) (conspiracy to commit wire fraud). “When an attorney is convicted of multiple offenses, disbarment is imposed if any one of them involves moral turpitude per se,” and thus, we need not analyze the other offenses of conviction. See In re Hoover Hankerson, 953 A.2d 1025, 1026 (D.C. 2008) (per curiam).

Respondent’s appeal of his conviction does not delay the Board’s recommendation in this matter; however, the Court should defer final action until the appeal is decided. See In re Hirschfeld, 622 A.2d 688, 690 (D.C. 1993) (withholding action on Board report and recommendation until appeal of conviction is concluded).

He has been serving an interim suspension since October 17, 2017. (Mike Frisch)