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FIVE LAWYERS INVOLVED IN TEXT MESSAGE SCANDAL FACE ETHICS CHARGES
Posted by Sharon Nelson | Sensei Enterprises
July 28, 2009
On May 21st, 2009, The National Law Journal reported that five lawyers who allegedly engaged in a text message scandal involving former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick face ethics violation charges. The main thrust of the allegations is that the lawyers either knew about, or took part in a secret lawsuit settlement to hide text messages that demonstrated the mayor had lied under oath about an affair with a former aide, a revelation leading to perjury and obstruction of justice charges as well as the mayor’s resignation. The lawyers’ conduct has raised serious questions about the attorneys’ behavior, specifically whether the lawyers knew perjury had been committed and failed to notify the court as well as whether a newspaper Freedom of Information Act request for the actual text messages was properly handled. Hearings have been set for the second week in July, and if convicted, the lawyers face possible suspension or revocation of their law licenses. For more information, the story may be found at http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202430879282