Attica! Attica!

The New York Appellate Division for the Fourth Judicial Department struck an attorney from its rolls. 

The Daily News reported in February 2018

 A suspended attorney from Buffalo has been indicted on charges that she tried to smuggle drugs to a prisoner at Attica Correctional Facility in November, similar to charges filed against her at a Pennsylvania prison earlier last year.

Latasha D. Crutcher, 31, was arraigned in Wyoming County Court Friday on an indictment charging her with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, two counts of first-degree promoting prison contraband and second-degree promoting prison contraband.

Assistant District Attorney Gregory Kilburn said Crutcher possessed oxycodone and marijuana and also tried to smuggle a razor blade to a prisoner.

Crutcher entered a not guilty plea and she was released on bail previously posted.

For Crutcher, it was the latest in a series of downfalls that led to her being suspended by the New York State Court of Appeals in August.

The suspension was for incidents at a Pennsylvania prison in 2016. Crutcher was representing an inmate who had been extradited to Pennyslvania. She was found to have “engaged in dishonesty and deceit to gain access to the client.”

She also was found to have failed to take action for two other clients and in another case failed to properly label her attorney trust accounts, and issued bad checks on those accounts.

The appeals court also found numerous other issues with Crutcher’s practice, including failing to refund unearned legal fees, misconduct and failure to cooperate with the grievance committee investigating her activities.

She also was found to be a scofflaw for failing to pay numerous traffic fines.

The court did not address Crutcher’s arrest in Pennsylvania in April 2017.

Crutcher was charged with possession of drugs with intent to sell at a state prison in Forest County, Pa.

Crutcher allegedly attempted to give an inmate a bottle of water containing a plastic balloon filled with synthetic marijuana.

It was not clear whether the inmate was the same person she was representing in the extradition case.

Kilburn said Crutcher was not serving as an attorney when she attempted to smuggle drugs into Attica.

Also in County Court Friday,

One of more than a dozen people arrested during a drug investigation called “Operation Frosty” pleaded guilty to dealing crack cocaine in Attica.

Louis Mercado, 29, of Batavia pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance as a second felony offender.

Judge Michael Mohun set sentencing for March 15.

Mercado was indicted in December as part of the Wyoming County Drug Task Force’s Operation Frosty,

The attorney had been disciplined in 2017. (Mike Frisch)