Tag: State Bar of Arizona

Kari Lake’s Attorney Bryan Blehm Encounters Hostility Dealing with the State Bar of Arizona’s Disciplinary Proceedings

Rachel Alexander

Kari Lake’s attorney Bryan Blehm is encountering pushback defending himself against the State Bar of Arizona’s disciplinary proceedings. The Arizona bar is trying to disbar Blehm and two of Lake’s other attorneys for asserting in a brief that it was an undisputed fact that 35,000 ballots were inserted into the 2022 election at Runbeck Election Systems, Maricopa County’s third-party mail-in ballot processing company. The Arizona bar also brought charges against Blehm for a post on X criticizing the Arizona Supreme Court for setting up a disinformation task force that appeared to be directed in part to squelch election challenges from attorneys representing Republicans.

Blehm, who is representing himself, is in the discovery phase of the disciplinary proceedings, where parties provide disclosures to each other and serve interrogatories or subpoenas for information. 

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Kari Lake’s Attorney Bryan Blehm Files Answer to the State Bar of Arizona’s Disciplinary Charges, Addresses Issue Regarding 35,563 Unaccounted for Ballots

Rachel Alexander
Arizona State Bar

The State Bar of Arizona (SBA) is proceeding with two counts against Kari Lake’s attorney Bryan Blehm for referencing in a brief that 35,563 ballots were unaccounted for due to chain of custody problems at Maricopa County’s third-party early ballot processor, Runbeck Election Services, and for criticizing the Arizona judiciary. Representing himself, Blehm filed a 94-page Answer to the SBA’s charges on January 25. 

In Count 1, the SBA accused Blehm of “misleading” the Arizona Supreme Court. The first half of the SBA’s case against Blehm consists of claiming that he lied when he stated in a pleading that both parties in Lake’s election challenge agreed that there was a discrepancy of 35,563 ballots unaccounted for due to chain of custody problems at Runbeck. Blehm asserted in the Lake brief, “The record indisputably reflects at least 35,563 Election Day early ballots, for which there is no record of delivery to Runbeck, were added at Runbeck….” 

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State Bar of Arizona Suspends License of Former Maricopa County Prosecutor April Sponsel for Two Years Over Prosecuting Antifa

Rachel Alexander

The State Bar of Arizona’s disciplinary judge Margaret Downie, along with a hearing panel of two others, suspended the law license of longtime Maricopa County prosecutor April Sponsel on December 19 mainly for prosecuting multiple people at an Antifa riot that took place in downtown Phoenix on October 17, 2020 after the death of George Floyd. The 71-page Decision and Order Imposing Sanctions also faulted her decision to charge a thief accused of assaulting police officers. The Arizona bar has come under increasing criticism in recent years for targeting conservative attorneys.

The trial was held in October, with over 8,100 pieces of evidence, including documents and videos, and 30 witnesses testifying. In February 2021, then-Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel made a decision to dismiss all the charges. ABC-15 credited their reporting with the reason for the dismissal. “On February 12, 2021, MCAO dismissed the gang charges against protesters following a week of intense scrutiny because of ABC15’s reporting,” the news site said. The station interviewed the rioters and portrayed them as peaceful protesters.

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Election Fraud Denying Cochise County Attorney Brian McIntyre Hit with Another Bar Complaint over ‘Super Extreme’ DUI

Rachel Alexander
Brian McIntyre

Cochise County Attorney Brian McIntyre, a Republican, was arrested for a Super Extreme DUI last January and pleaded guilty to Extreme DUI but has received no discipline from the State Bar of Arizona. He blew a .20 percent when arrested, more than two times the legal limit of .08 percent BAC. On Thursday, a concerned Arizona resident filed a bar complaint against him, just three days after State Representative Alexander Kolodin (R-Scottsdale) and Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller filed an election-related bar complaint against him.

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State Rep. Alex Kolodin Sentenced to 18 Months Probation by Arizona Bar for Filing 2020 Election Lawsuits

Rachel Alexander
Alex Kolodin

The State Bar of Arizona has been aggressively pursuing disciplinary charges against attorneys who challenged alleged election irregularities and illegalities in 2020 and 2022. Proceedings against State Representative Alex Kolodin (R-Scottsdale) recently concluded with Kolodin accepting an agreement that would allow him to keep his law license, instead serving probation for 18 months.

The Arizona Bar charged Kolodin (pictured above) with several rules often used to disbar conservative attorneys. As part of the agreement, Kolodin admitted his actions violated Rule 42, ERs 3.1 and 8.4(d) of the Arizona Bar’s Rules of Professional Conduct. ER 3.1 prohibits attorneys from bringing “frivolous” lawsuits, and 8.4(d) prohibits attorneys from “engag[ing] in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.”

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State Bar of Arizona Finds Probable Cause Against Kari Lake’s Three Election Attorneys, Gives Them Opportunity to Admit Guilt

Rachel Alexander

The State Bar of Arizona announced that it found probable cause to pursue disciplinary charges against three attorneys representing Kari Lake in her election-related cases. The attorneys are Bryan Blehm, Kurt Olsen, and Andrew Parker. The charges relate to election lawsuits the three filed for Lake. The Arizona Bar has increasingly come under criticism for targeting conservative attorneys.

Blehm, who is accused by the Arizona Bar of criticizing the Arizona Supreme Court for setting up a disinformation task force, told The Arizona Sun Times, “If the ethical rules can be interpreted such that lawyers must remain silent in the face of unconstitutional conduct by the very courts they serve then I question the validity of those ethical rules and/or the veracity of those interpreting them. We are duty bound as attorneys to defend the Constitution of the United States of America and that is the proper function of the courts. When the courts themselves violate the Constitution somebody must say something because there is nowhere left for the people to turn. When our courts fail us, we are no longer a constitutional republic.”

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State Bar of Arizona Under Fire as Complaints and Action Against Republican Attorneys Increase

Rachel Alexander

Considerable scrutiny has been placed on the State Bar of Arizona recently following its decision to pursue investigations and disciplinary actions against attorneys representing clients and causes associated with the Republican Party – particularly election attorneys. The Arizona bar is investigating and has found probable cause against Kari Lake’s attorney Bryan Blehm, and he expects they will disbar him. Former Maricopa County prosecutor April Sponsel recently underwent a disciplinary trial for charging violent Antifa rioters with gang charges, and is waiting to find out if the bar’s disciplinary judge will suspend her license for two years.

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State Bar of Arizona Finds Probable Cause in Investigation of Kari Lake’s Attorney, He Expects to Be Disbarred

Rachel Alexander

The State Bar of Arizona is pursuing charges against Kari Lake’s attorney, Bryan Blehm, not merely investigating complaints filed by others. The Arizona Bar told him it has already found probable cause to continue its proceedings against him, which means it will likely result in disbarment. The charges accuse Blehm of violating five ethical rules frequently used as catchall rules to disbar attorneys.

Kari Lake told The Arizona Sun Times, “I will represent myself before I drop the case. [Attorney] Kurt [Olsen] and Bryan are heroes.”

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Judge Finds Trump’s Former Attorney John Eastman ‘Culpable’ in His Bar Disciplinary Trial as He Refuses to Express Remorse

Rachel Alexander

The disbarment trial of former President Donald Trump’s former attorney and constitutional legal scholar, John Eastman, finished its 32nd day on Thursday. California Bar Disciplinary Judge Yvette Roland could not get the former law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to express remorse for his actions, and she pronounced him “culpable.”

The proceedings began with more cross-examination and redirect of Eastman on the witness stand. The California Bar’s attorney, Duncan Carling, attempted to get Eastman to admit that he was inciting violence by giving a speech at January 6. He asked Eastman if his speech risked causing violence. Eastman responded and said there was a risk to the republic if the election was illegal and allowed to stand.

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Bar Disciplinary Trial Wraps Up Against Former Maricopa County Prosecutor Who Charged Antifa Demonstrators at Violent Protest in Phoenix

Rachel Alexander

The disciplinary court of the State Bar of Arizona wrapped up a trial a few days ago against April Sponsel, a former longtime prosecutor with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO), related to gang charges she brought against Antifa and others arrested in October 2020 for rioting in downtown Phoenix. Bar prosecutors claimed she overcharged the rioters by using gang statutes, including bringing charges against a man who claimed he was just an observer taking photos, Ryder Collins. The Arizona bar seeks to suspend her license to practice law for two years. 

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Kari Lake Files Bar Complaint Against Hobbs’ Attorney in Election Lawsuit over Statements Regarding Her U.S. Senate Race Announcement

Rachel Alexander

Kari Lake filed a bar complaint against Katie Hobbs’ attorney, Alexis Danneman of Perkins Coie, on Monday over “false statements” Danneman may have made regarding Lake’s announcement that she was running for U.S. Senate. Danneman, who is representing Hobbs in Lake’s lawsuit challenging Hobbs’ gubernatorial win over Lake, sent Lake’s attorneys an email last week stating that she had violated the state’s resign to run laws and must drop her election challenge.

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Expert in Disbarment Trial of Trump’s Former Attorney John Eastman Contrasts ‘Unusual’ Vote Spikes for Biden in 2020 Compared to Hillary Clinton’s Election

Rachel Alexander

The disbarment trial of Donald Trump’s former attorney and constitutional legal scholar John Eastman continued on Thursday during its eighth week, featuring testimony from statistician Dr. Stanley Young and two character witnesses. Young, who has been designated as an expert by California Bar Disciplinary Judge Yvette Roland, spent much of the time discussing the election contrast report he co-authored with a team of statistical PhDs, which focused on what he repeatedly characterized as “unusual” differences between the number of votes Joe Biden received in 2020 versus the number of votes Hillary Clinton received in 2016.

Eastman’s attorney Randy Miller began his line of questioning asking Young about the report, which focused primarily on 10 states. Young observed how California stood out in comparison to the other states, with Biden receiving around 800,000 more “unexpected” votes than Clinton, taking into account the growth in population. In two states that decreased in population, there were around 300,000 more unexpected votes for Biden in New York, and Illinois got 75,000, he said. In some states that had population increases, the increases were significantly higher than those increases. Arizona and North Carolina each had 80,000 unexpected votes for Biden, Texas had 200,000, and Georgia over 200,000.

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Arizona State Senator Justine Wadsack Outlines Her Priorities for Next Session

Hannah Poling

Arizona State Senator Justine Wadsack (R-Tuscon) is preparing for the next legislative session by outlining her priorities and beginning to craft legislation for introduction in the State Senate.

Arizona’s regular legislative sessions begin on the second Monday in January and typically conclude after 100 days. However, the House and Senate can mutually vote to extend the regular session beyond 100 days. This happens regularly. It will run as long as lawmakers need it to.

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AG Kris Mayes Faces Bar Complaint Alleging Violation of Duties to State Clients

Rachel Alexander

A bar complaint was filed against Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes last week. Chandler resident Charlie Schinke accused Mayes of violating her ethical duties to two state clients by threatening one with a potential criminal investigation and publicly admonishing another client in a press release.

Schinke asked the State Bar of Arizona to investigate whether Mayes violated Arizona Rules of Professional Conduct 1.6 and 1.7. He said, “In just the last month, Ms. Mayes appeared on television to threaten one of her clients with an investigation that could carry potential criminal dimensions, and publicly admonished another client in letters that she distributed in a press release.” He added, “The Attorney General’s self-appointed status as the investigator of her own clients not only is inconsistent with her statutory responsibilities but compromises the ethical obligations that bind all members of the Arizona Bar.” Schinke explained, “Attorney General Mayes’ public criticisms of, and threats to investigate, her own clients are inconsistent with her duties of confidentiality and loyalty.”

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Two Bills Making Progress That Would Dismantle the Mandatory State Bar of Arizona

Rachel Alexander

The Arizona Legislature is considering two bills to dismantle the State Bar of Arizona. 

Senate Bill (SB) 1435, sponsored by State Representative Justine Wadsack (R-Tucson) and passed the Senate 16-13 on February 27, would make the Bar voluntary and move the licensing and regulation of attorneys back under the Arizona Supreme Court. Currently, lawyers cannot practice law in Arizona unless they are a member of the Bar. While Arizona is a right-to-work state, lawsuits attempting to stop it from acting like a mandatory union have failed due to judges ruling against them. More than half of the states have mandatory bars; the rest are voluntary.

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