Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Ninety four Rhode Island lawyers are facing suspension from practice because they have not paid their bar association dues.

They include the state's Child Advocate, Jametta O. Alston, a past president of the bar association; Newport lawyer John T. Sheehan, who is facing ethics charges brought by the Supreme Court's disciplinary counsel; and criminal defense lawyer Vincent J. Oddo, who represented convicted murderer Derick Hazard who raised an appeal, rejected earlier this week, that was based on Oddo's failure to investigate alibi evidence.

The Rhode Island Supreme Court issued an order last Thursday summoning all 94 lawyers to appear before the court on May 28 at 9 a.m. to "show cause, if any they have, why they should not be suspended as prayed."

Reached Wednesday, Alston said she planned to pay up right away. "Oh my goodness; I totally forgot," she said. Alston said she'd gone to the bar association's office last week to pay the overdue dues but they wouldn't accept her debit card or MasterCard or VISA and she wasn't carrying her checkbook.

Oddo said, "I have forwarded by mail my dues to the Rhode Island Bar."

A listed phone number for Sheehan was disconnected.

All lawyers who practice in Rhode Island are required to be members in good standing of the Rhode Island Bar Association, the 5,976-member body that is pushing for the suspension of the 94 attorneys for their failure to pay their annual dues.

The dues are $200 per year for lawyers who have been licensed for more than 5 years and $115 per year for less senior lawyers. Each lawyer is also required to pay a mandatory $25 fee that goes into a client reimbursement fund (a fund that pays clients who are fleeced by attorneys.) Dues are supposed to be paid by July 30 of each year. If a lawyer is three or more months overdue, he or she must pay a $25 late fee in addition to the amount owed.

Frederick Massie, spokesman for the bar association, said Wednesday that all of the lawyers on the suspension list have been sent three notices telling them they must pay up -- one in July, one in October and one in January. The January notice, he said, was sent by certified mail with a letter warning the attorney that he or she will be suspended if payment is not received.

"The economy may be a factor," Massie said, when asked why so many lawyers were behind on their dues.

 Tags  John T. Sheehan Jr. Providence RI Rhode Island Bar Association Rhode Island Supreme Court

Comments

Dave T said:

I am not surprised at all.

Link | April 22, 2009 7:18 PM
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Don said:

Lawyers do what they want, where they want, when they want. They're a protected class that the AG's office and sitting judges turn a blind-eye to when they get caught with their hands in the cookie-jar. Whether these weasels pay their dues or not makes little difference. The Rhode Island Bar will still be populated by thieving cowards and liars who can't wait to get their hands on old-ladies and orphans money. They're a pox on the community!

Link | April 22, 2009 8:05 PM
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ej said:

Has the outcome of this been published anywhere?

Link | June 2, 2009 9:21 AM
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