Now It’s Permanent

A disbarred lawyer has been permanently disbarred by the Louisiana Supreme Court for post-disbarment conduct

On May 31, 2022, Shane Evans, who is employed as the Chief of Investigations for the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office, received a telephone call from respondent. Multiple times during the call and even though he was disbarred at the time, respondent informed Mr. Evans that he was an attorney representing Maria Jarreau. The purpose of the representation was to assist Ms. Jarreau in obtaining from the coroner’s office copies of the toxicology and other reports relative to her daughter, who died in August 2021. Mr. Evans informed respondent that the coroner’s office had already given Ms. Jarreau a copy of her daughter’s death investigator’s report and toxicology report but that she could obtain additional copies by coming to the coroner’s office. When the call ended, Mr. Evans checked the Louisiana State Bar Association’s website and discovered that respondent was disbarred.

Evans filed a bar complaint

the ODC contacted Ms. Jarreau, who confirmed that she had hired respondent to assist her with obtaining information about her daughter from the coroner’s office. She also informed the ODC that, on April 23, 2022, she had paid respondent a $500 fee for this service but had seen no results.

Sanction

Respondent has demonstrated multiple times that, given the chance, he will continue to engage in the unauthorized practice of law in defiance of our orders. Regarding the second factor, given respondent’s defiance of previous court orders and his complete lack of cooperation in this proceeding, there is no reasonable expectation of significant rehabilitation in his character in the future. Therefore, permanent disbarment is the appropriate sanction in this matter.

(Mike Frisch)