Not all attorney disbarments make news. But when the attorney being disbarred was an employee at the IRS who dealt with ethical issues, it becomes noteworthy.
The District of Columbia Court of Appeals last week accepted the recommendation of the Board of Professional Responsibility that Takisha Brown be disbarred. It found that Brown had intentionally misappropriated funds and made false statements with reckless disregard for the truth.
According to the Board, Brown misappropriated amounts from a settlement of an auto accident case that she handled in private practice, and misrepresented that she had paid a bill when in fact the bill had not been paid.
The Hearing Committee noted that disbarment is the presumptive sanction for lawyers who intentionally misappropriate client funds, unless extraordinary circumstances justify a less severe sanction. The Court of Appeals upheld the Board’s conclusion that Brown failed to demonstrate extraordinary circumstances warranting a departure from the presumptive sanction of disbarment.
