Assisting A Friend Gets Attorney In Hot Water

An attorney who was called to scene of a friend’s DWI ended up charged herself, leading to a  retroactively-imposed suspension from the Louisiana Supreme Court

In June 2019, respondent was telephoned by a friend who indicated that she was being placed under arrest for DWI. Respondent drove to the scene and began seeking information about the arrest. The on-scene officer instructed respondent to leave several times, but she continued to argue with him. At this point, the officer detected an odor of alcohol on respondent’s breath and asked for her driver’s license. Respondent refused to submit to a field sobriety test, and the officer attempted to place her under arrest. After initially resisting his efforts, respondent submitted to a field sobriety test and a Breathalyzer test, which showed a blood alcohol level of .129g%. Respondent was arrested and charged with DWI and resisting an officer.

Respondent self-reported the arrest and began counseling with the Bar’s assistance program but

During one such counseling session, respondent acknowledged that she recently used cocaine and had used it historically, something she failed to truthfully disclose to the JLAP evaluator previously.

She has participated in ongoing treatment and the court concluded

under the circumstances of this case, we will suspend respondent from the practice of law for eighteen months, with all but one year deferred, subject to the conditions set forth in the board’s report. We will further order that respondent’s suspension run retroactive to November 4, 2020, the date of her interim suspension.

(Mike Frisch)